Naruto:The Shadow Blade
by Thunderito
Summary: Naruto, a master Gamer and the son of two very powerful people in Japan, gets trapped in Sword Art Online. But what will Kayaba do, against a person who can adapt and overcome any challenge? Rated M for graphic scenes. Pairing Naruto/Asuna.
1. Chapter 1:10000 trapped

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to my new story, called Naruto: The Shadow Blade. This story is the Naruto/Sword Art Online crossover, that was the second most requested story in my first poll. Also, check the AN at the bottom. It shall explain A LOT regarding this story, Naruto and the plot. Also, there will be choices for you. Without any stopping, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 1: 10000 trapped**

 _Sword Art Online. The first game of the century to use the full potential of the NerveGear's Virtual capabilities,called FullDive. It was the most requested game of the year, with reservations filled weeks before it's opening. Ten thousand players were accepted into the world of Sword Art Online, one thousand of them being Beta Testers. It was the first Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, or VRMMORPG for short. Thus, it was expected to be a great hit, as the Beta Testers reviews were positive to a fault. However, no one would know how horrible the Game would turn out to be._

 _ **Japan**_

Somewhere in Tokyo, in an area full of estates, was a large wall, with an iron gate. The gate had a plate, with a whirlpool surrounded by a triangle. Inside, stood a large estate, painted yellow, with a red roof. It was the home of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family, the most prestigious family in all of Japan, excluding the Imperial Family. Descendants of a long Clan of Daimyo's, they possessed enormous wealth and power. They had created the Namikaze-Uzumaki Company, or NUC, a large organization which owns dozens of powerful companies. Two of them were created by themselves. One was the Triangle, a company specializing in military equipment and military programming, with so much power it even controlled it's own official military divisions, specialised in Technology, Hacking and Repairs. The other was Whirlpool, the biggest Japanese Company of Electronic Devices, from fridges and washing machines, to phones and computers. They had dozens of different companies, ranging from clothes factories to food factories. It was lead by Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

In the third floor of the estate, was a large room. It was painted an orange-gold colour and had Led Lights on the ceiling. On one corner stood a King-sized bed, with an office desk to it's side. The desk had a computer with three monitors, the middle one curved and it was state of the art. On the other side of the room was a wardrobe, a futon in front of a 65' curved Tv, with a U-Box and a training corner, with a bench press and a treadmill. Sitting in front of the computer was a young man at the age of 16. He was tall, standing at 6'2, with the body of an athlete. He had sun-kissed, spiky blonde hair and piercing, sapphire blue eyes. He was currently wearing a red T-shirt, black shorts and red sneakers. The boy was Namikaze Naruto, son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

The boy was very famous in the enterprise world. At the age of 16, he could speak Japanese, English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Greek and French perfectly, with good knowledge of Italian, Turkish and Arabic. He was a prodigy and a genius, having not finished school and owning many Masters and PhD's in Computers. From hardware to software, he was an expert. He was also quite athletic, having achieved Black Belt status in Judo, Karate, Kenpo, Ninjutsu and uniquely Krav Maga. He was also a master of many different sword styles, from the Japanese Katana to the European Longsword. The fact that he had a European Greatsword and a Japanese Katana in an 'X' above his bed explained that. The boy was considered able to learn anything he could desire, as his was a quick thinker and could adapt at anything.

He was called by many in the world 'The Golden Boy', due to his wealth, knowledge and power. The fact he was blonde also helped. They considered him a boy who had everything he could desire. But unknown to everyone, even to his family that wasn't true. In reality, Naruto was a very lonely person. He had very few friends, as the school kids wouldn't dare approach him. Even the girls, despite thinking he was handsome, didn't feel like talking to him. His parents, being busy with their schedules and constantly making him do things that he doesn't like, for example learning so many languages, worsened this. Naruto was smart, he understood that his parents simply wanted him to reach his fullest physical and mental capabilities, but was it so difficult to just spend a bit of time with him? He did the math, it wasn't. But it wasn't like it mattered a lot anymore. They had two more years. After that, he would join Military Command School and do what he wished with his life. But right now, he had to stick with what he had.

Naruto was drinking a carbonated drink, as he typed commands in a program at rapid speeds. Suddenly, a message popped up. He pressed on it and it read 'Kirito: Hey Maelstrom, you on?'. Naruto smiled lightly and started a call. "Hey Kirito. What is it?" he asked. "Hey Maelstrom. I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up once SAO was up." he said, as Naruto's eyes widened. SAO would start in around 5 minutes! He then smiled sadly "Sorry Kirito, but you know I like to enjoy myself the first day of a new game. But we can meet tomorrow to grind together!" he said, as Kirito nodded "Alright! Later!" he said, closing the call, as Naruto sighed.

Maelstrom was his alias, the English meaning of his name, when his name didn't mean a Ramen Flavor. He used it in his games. Unknown to most of the world, exception being his family who once caught him playing with it, he played Maelstrom, the best Gamer in the world. From MMORPG to FPS, any tournament he participated in, he was always first. Hundreds of people complained he cheated, though if he did, the system would catch him and he would be expelled. His addiction to video games came from the feelings of loneliness. He finally found something he was good at and enjoyed, besides learning new cultures. So, after he reached 14, his free time was spent playing video games. He was also one of the First Beta Testers of SAO, not to mention the most successful one, having reached the 23th floor, with Kirito behind him on the 18th. And it seemed, the new SAO would make Maelstrom's legend even more powerful.

He finished running his tests and picked up his NerveGear. He connected it to the computer, placed it on his head, then laid on his bed. He closed his eyes, opening it with a command "Link Start." he said. His eyes fell victim to a massive array of shapes and colours, before a blink was heard and he saw floating text.

' **Complete Upload, Green'**

' **Checking Complete'**

' **Log In/Register?'** he pressed **Log In**

' **Language: Japanese'**

' **Account:*********'**

' **Password:********'**

' **Creation Character:'**

' **Beta Test Available. Would you like to use it?** ' he pressed **Yes**

' **Enter Now?'** he smirked and pressed **Yes**

 _ **SAO World**_

Naruto opened his eyes and looked down, clenching his arms a few times, getting adjusted to the feeling. Even if it was a game, everything felt so real. He looked down on himself. He looked exactly as he did in real life, except he had black hair. He was wearing an orange jacket with a leather chestplate, black pants and leather boots. A sword was sheathed behind his back. He opened the menu, checking his inventory. He nodded in satisfaction as everything was in order. He then took a deep breath and rushed ahead. It was time to grind.

Naruto entered a small clearing, where wild animals started spawning. He gripped his blade and charged at them, swinging left and right. He cut one boar, only to dodge a snake, before turning and cutting it's head off. He jumped above another boar, then killed a wolf. He turned, cutting beasts left and right. Even though he reached Level 2, it wasn't enough. 'Faster, faster.' he thought, as his arm was now a blur. He didn't stop until he reached Level 4. By that time, it was evening. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, then opened his Menu to log off. To his surprise, there was no Log Off button. "This is weird…" he said, as he tried to contact the Moderators, to no avail. Suddenly, a blue circle appeared on his feet and he was teleported.

 _ **Town of Beginnings**_

Naruto found himself at the Town of Beginnings, along with thousands of other players. He was in the Central Plaza, near the main clock. He looked around, suspecting that all ten thousand of Sword Art Online's players had gathered here. Suddenly, the sky turned red, as a large dome surrounded them, writing 'Alert' or 'System Announcement'. Then, a huge faceless cloak appeared, the hood making him look like a red Grim Reaper without the scythe. "Welcome players to my world." he said, as Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I am Kayaba Akihiko. I have an announcement for everyone. I see that everyone has noticed by now the lack of a Log Off button. This is not a glitch. From this day forward, you are trapped in Sword Art Online." he said, as everyone started to protest. "There is only one way to leave, to defeat the final boss at the final floor. In simpler terms, defeat the game. If even one of you does it, all of you may go. However, you must know, from now on if you die in game you die in real life. Also, if your Nerve Gear is forcibly removed, you die." he said, as real life pictures appeared "Tries have already been made, with players dying. I have given the police information on how to keep you alive. But it all rests in your hands. Now, a final gift before I leave. Look at your inventory. Good luck." he said, disappearing. The sky turned back to normal.

Naruto and the rest of the players stood in silence at the revelations. Then, everything fell to chaos as yells, curses and screams of panic filled the square. Naruto thought of what he learned 'Is he crazy? He must be… I am trapped in Sword Art Online, where if I die, I die permanently. No respawn.' he thought, then checked his inventory 'A mirror?' he asked himself, before looking at it. Suddenly, he glowed, only to see his avatar looked exactly like him, even in height and body mass, the only thing different were the clothes. 'But how? I get the head, as the helmet covers the entire face, but the body? Wait, this must be the reason why I had to touch the Nerve Gear all over my body. Akihiko I swear I will kick your ass you maniac.' he thought, clenching his fists. He immediately left the area, as he had no reason to stay anymore. No, he had to move. If he were to defeat this game and go back to the real world, he had to become stronger. He had to become the strongest. He had to use all his knowledge from the first to the twenty-third floor, all of it's secrets. He rushed forward, attempting to reach the next town, when a pack of wolves appeared. He narrowed his eyes. He knew this game. He knew twenty three floors. Early SAO had a progress application, telling you how much of each floor you had explored, but it was removed in the final version. Back in beta, before progressing to the next floor, he would make sure to fully complete each floor. And he remembered, he remembered it all. Where to grind, when to grind, how to grind, what to collect, where to go. These wolves were part of a mission. He could get their pelts and sell them, while he could complete the mission next town and earn enough gold to buy the gear he needed to properly grind. Growling, he took out his sword and rushed at them, killing each wolf with one hit and one roar 'I will survive!' he thought, as the blade cut them.

 _ **Tolbana**_

One month had passed since the events in the town of beginnings. One month since it was revealed that ten thousand players were trapped in a death game. In the first week, two thousand players died, taking their lives, as they couldn't live in this game. Yet, no one, not even him or Kirito, the best Beta Testers, had managed to reach, much less clear the first floor's boss, in order to access the second floor. However, a conference was being held for that exact purpose here in Tolbana. From what he heard, some people claimed to have found the boss room.

Naruto was sitting in the spot where the meeting will be held, a small theater which represented the Town Center . The stairs led to the center, a circular spot, where an empty rectangular fountain laid behind it. Naruto was sitting to the upper right part. He was wearing black form fitting pants, a blue sleeveless shirt with a leather chestplate above it. He had a mask, that surrounded his neck like a hooded scarf. He also had black Ninja sandals and leather gauntlets. Strapped on his back, was a Chokuto with a plain blue handle. It was called Sutato no Kaze, the Wind of Start, the best single-edged blade for five floors. He was sighing, observing the gathered players. He had reached Level 17 and wondered if anyone was around his level, as most had Level 10 gear on. He suspected Kirito would be, as the man surely would of started to grind like crazy the moment he found out. Not that he didn't. He had already explored every part of the First Floor, except the Boss Room. It seemed their locations had changed, but not the bosses themselves. Though, it would make no difference after the twenty-third floor, for himself at least. For the others, much sooner.

Naruto looked forward, his eyes displaying mild boredom, when he heard someone call out his name. He turned, smiling at Kirito. He met him a week ago, grinding in a forest. Back then he was Level 14, so he assumed he would have gotten up a level or two. Kirito was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt with a starting iron chestplate for protection above it, fingerless black gloves, black pants and black boots. Behind him was a double edged sword, the 'Anneal Blade'. It was the best double-edged sword for three floors. He nodded at him "Glad to see you're here." he said. Kirito smiled, sitting down next to him "I assume we will need to make a party." he said, sending Naruto a party invitation, which Naruto accepted. He inwardly smirked, nodding in satisfaction that Kirito was Level 16. They had a small chat, regarding where they grinded, their skills and missions they accomplished, when they saw someone approaching them. It was a player, whose features were hidden from a maroon hooded cloak. Though when he heard the player's voice, he knew it was a girl, as she said "Is this seat taken?". Naruto shook his head "No it isn't. You're welcome to join us." he said, as the figure nodded and sat down, though keeping a slight distance from Naruto. Kirito send an invite to her, which she accepted and both boys saw her name was Asuna. Naruto took note that the girl was Level 14 and was glad she could at least keep up with them. They turned, as a man with long blue hair, with two bangs framing his face and blue eyes went to the center of the room. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, white pants, black boots and was protected by a bronze chestplate, shoulder pads, gauntlets and grieves. A longsword with a grey handle was sheathed on his waist, while he had a white kite shield on his back that had a black sword in the middle.

He smiled to all of them "Thank you all for coming today. My name is Diavel and my class is, unofficially, a knight!" he finished with a grin, as everyone started laughing, commenting the lack of classes. Then Diavel gained a serious look, as he begun speaking "Today, me and my group, discovered the boss room on the highest level of this floor." he said, gaining the attention of everyone. "By defeating the boss and progressing to the second floor, we can show that this game, this death trap, is NOT unbeatable. It's our responsibility to do so! Don't you agree with me, everyone?" he said passionately. It didn't take more than five seconds of thought, when everyone started clapping and whistling. Naruto gave a nod, while Kirito smirked. The figure was silent. "Now, to discuss our battle strategy. We are to form parties of at least two players. We can't defeat a boss with simple parties. We need multiple, so as to form a raid group!" he explained, waiting a minute for everyone to be finished. Naruto sent a look at the girl, who was looking at him. When she caught his gaze, she quickly turned away. He didn't mind it, as that was how everyone treated him. Honestly, he was glad Kirito talked with him, albeit it was because he was a Beta Tester. He turned back to the 'knight', as everyone finished. "Is everyone done? Good. Now-" he was about to continue, only to be stopped by a man who came down next to him, telling him to hold it.

It was a short man, with reddish-brown hair that was spiky like a cactus and brown eyes. He wore a beige long sleeved shirt, olive pants and brown boots with a white net cloth covering them. He also had a grey scale mail chestplate, leather gauntlets and a broadsword on his back. He had a frown on his face "My name is Kibaou and I have something to say. I am sure that some of you should be apologizing to the players who have died so far." he said, as Diavel frowned " Kibao-san, you're referring to the Beta Testers, is that correct?" he asked, with Kibaou nodding "That's right! On the first day we were trapped, all of them disappeared and left nine thousand beginners to fend off on their own! They monopolized good hunting grounds, profitable quests and put themselves above all else! And then they feigned ignorance of doing so!" he explained, before he became angry "I am certain some of you are Beta Testers! We should have you kneel before us in apology, then give us the gold and items you've been collecting as compensation! I will not trust my life to such people!" he heatedly finished, as everyone started murmuring. Kirito trembled, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth, while Naruto's eyes narrowed. He was about to stand up, when a voice was heard, that asked if he could speak.

Kibaou turned, only to sweat as a large imposing man appeared. He was tall, near Naruto's height and bulky. He was bald, with a brown goatee and brown eyes, with two silver earrings. He was wearing brown boots with white fur on the top, dark brown pants that were connected to a dark brown tank top, with white parts and brown forearm protectors made of cloth. He also had a beige leather breastplate and a large battleaxe was behind him. "My name is Agil." the man spoke "Kibaou-san, you're saying the Beta Testers should offer compensation, because they didn't look after us new players, is that correct?" he asked. Kibaou frowned and nodded. Agil then took out a small brown book "This is the guidebook. You have one correct? It is after all, free in the item shop." he said, as Kibaou nodded "What about it?". Agil closed his eyes, turning to everyone "This guidebook, was distributed by Beta Testers." he said, as lots of people gasped in surprise. He then opened his eyes, giving a hard stare "Listen, this was free and given to everyone, yet a lot of people still died. I thought we were here to discuss a strategy, not to fight amongst ourselves." he said, as some people nodded. Kibaou huffed, then went back down and crossed his arms. Agil sat back down, as Diavel continued his speech. "To be truthful, the guidebook has information on the boss." he said, getting the attention of everyone "He is called, Illfang the Kobold Lord. He has minions called Ruin Kobold Sentinels guarding him. His weapons consist of an axe and a buckler. He has four HP bars. When the last one reaches the red, he changes his weapon to a talwar. His attack patterns also change." he explain, as everyone stared in awe at the accurate information. "Now, concerning loot." he said, putting the book back "Money is distributed automatically, Experience goes to the party striking the final hit and items belong to whoever gets them. Any questions? No? Dismissed!" he said, as people started leaving.

Nighttime came, as most players were conversing and enjoying themselves. In an alley near the square, we could find the figure eating bread, sitting down on a marble piece. Kirito approached her "It tastes good, doesn't it? Can I seat here?" he asked, as she turned to him and nodded. He sat down, as she moved a bit away. "You really think it's good?" she asked, as he nodded "Indeed. I've been eating it since I came here at least once per day. You also think it's good, right Naruto?" he asked, as the figure turned, only to gasp in surprise as Naruto was sitting next to her, his blade in his hand, which was pure white in colour, as he eyed it with an expert look "It's good for game food." he said. "H-How long were you next to me?" the figure asked, eyeing him up and down once. Naruto send her a look, then turned back to his blade "A few seconds after you took the bread out." he said.

Kirito took a bite off his bread "Anyways, I placed a bit of a twist on it." he said, taking out a small bottle "Put that on it." he said. The figure hesitantly placed her finger on the bottle as it glowed, then run the finger along the bread, as cream appeared. She turned to him, as he begun eating. She slowly took a bite, then gulped down the entire bread in one go. "I wish I had some meat." she said, sighing. Naruto, to her surprise, placed a fried chicken leg on her hands, the bone wrapped in paper, then placed cream on it. She turned to him "You don't want it?" she asked, as he shook his head, going back to his blade "I ate before sitting here." he simply said. She turned back to the meat, took a bite, then quickly cleaned the bone of all meat, sighing in content. Kirito smiled "It was the reward of a quest I did, called 'The Cow Strikes Back' in the previous town. I can show it to you if you like." he said, as the figure shook their head. "I didn't come here to taste good food. I came to remain as myself. I don't want to rot away in an inn back at Starting down. I won't let this game control me. I will live by my choice. Even if I die by a monster, this game will not change me. No matter what." she said, as they both frowned. Naruto rose sheathing his blade, as Kirito spoke "I don't want a party member to die on me. Take care of yourself, at least for tomorrow." he said.

She didn't say anything, instead turned to Naruto who was leaning to a wall, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He begun speaking "There is a tale, about an assassin who was considered the best. He had retired and spent a few years in peace. However, a threat rose and he took it upon himself to defeat it. However, he couldn't take down even the threat's lieutenant. He thought he needed more practice, so he went back to his master. As it turned out, the problem was that he created a pacifist nature and found it hard to use a sword. His master showed him the hard way, the power of the end, the assassin defeated the threat" he said, opening his eyes "The meaning of this story is, your life is worth more than you can imagine. Staying as you are, is not a reason to sacrifice yourself. Remember that." he said, walking away. Unknown to him, the figure would remember those words forever.

 **Oh god. The feels I feel bring a feeling unlike any other feeling I ever felt….. I don't have a life hahaha. Anyways, hope you guys liked the first Chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade. I sure did! Now, to avoid the incoming barrage of questions. As I said, it will be an Uber-God Fic in the most possible way without Chakra. So, I was thinking. How to make an Uber-God fic in a video game? Sure, I can have Naruto higher level than the rest of them. But, that would just make him Godlike, if not strong. No, I need to maximize results. And since Alfheim uses player skill instead of just level, I placed in Naruto's skills every battle ability I could think of, without overstepping boundaries. So yea, Naruto is a modern day Batman, without gadgets. As for Sao Skills, I actually would like you to answer me one thing guys. I know support skills and weapon skills are skills needed to be put on slots, but what about combat skills, like Parry and Howl? Are they needed to be placed in slots or not? Now, he will have two 'Unique Skills'. One is the dual wielding. The other however, I shall keep it secret. No, it's not gonna be the Holy Sword, or any of the skills you know. It will be one I make myself. So, that's two skills. Some of you will ask, how can he have so many skills if you include normal combat, support and weapons skills? Well, for the level he will have before the end, it shall be enough. The only spoil I shall tell you, is that Naruto will be well beyond Kirito's level after some time. Oh by the way, it isn't a Naruto neglected by parents type of fic, where they don't acknowledge his existence. They are simply busy. That is all. More questions feel free to ask. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	2. Chapter 2:Illfang and Skills

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the second chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the battle with the First Floor boss and Skills . On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 2: Illfang and Skills**

 _ **Boss Room**_

Naruto, Kirito and the figure were outside the boss room, along with many other players, getting ready for the fight. "Alright. Let us work our strategy once again. We are assigned to defeat the Ruin Kobold Sentinels, the Boss's minions." Naruto said, as they both nodded "Kirito shall being using a skill to temporarily block their pole-axes, then you shall switch and defeat them. Then, you switch with me, as I hold off an opponent and Kirito takes him down. We will be rotating, but primarily you and Kirito shall do the damage, unless I find a moment to strike." he said, as the figure tilted her head "Switch?" she asked, as they both looked at her. Kirito sweatdropped "You never played any RPG?" he asked, only to sigh, dropping his head when she shook her head. "Switch is a verbal command. It allows a player to switch in a fight. As you can understand, skills got 100% chance to work only if you see the target clearly, ignoring dodges and obstacles. With switch, your teammate's sights is forced to the enemy's, giving it a clear view to strike." he explained as she nodded. They turned as Daviel looked at all of them "I only have one thing to say." he said, curling his hand into a fist "Let's win this." he said, as everyone nodded, getting serious. They pushed the doors forward and transcended into the darkness.

The room suddenly lit up, as the walls became lamps of different colours, looking like a magic room. It was an enormous hall, over twenty feet wide and over a hundred feet deep. Columns were placed in an evenly order, as the boss jumped in the air and roared at them. It stood over 7 feet tall, with blood red skin and bloodthirsty crimson eyes. Two blue diamond shapes were in the middle of his chest. One one hand he held a small round shield, on the other an axe made of bone. Three small beasts appeared, looking like a small version of the Boss, with bone-coloured armour, hiding their facial and body features and holding maces, something Naruto noted. He whispered a warning, as Daviel raised his hand "Go! Attack!" he yelled, as everyone roared, beginning the assault on the First Boss, **Illfang the Kobold Lord**.

Sparks flew in the air and clangs of steel could be heard inside the boss room. Diavel was sitting in the back giving orders "Squad A! Attack! Now, Squad B block!" he said, as Illfang swung his axe, only for Agil and Kibaou to block it. "Squad C! Switch with Squad A! Now!" he said, then turned to his right "Squads D,E,F! Protect us from the minions!" he ordered, as Naruto and the figure nodded, with Kirito saying "Roger!". They started sprinting, as Kirito pushed back the mace of a Kobold, yelling "Switch!". The figure charged drawing her rapier, which started glowing " **Linear!** " she said and pierced through the Kobold. Naruto smirked behind his mask 'For a starter, she has incredible speed. I could barely see her blade move.' he thought, Kirito thinking something along those lines. The figure yelled switch, with Naruto appearing and swinging down his Chokuto, blocking the mace to the ground and yelled to switch, as he jumped back, with Kirito piercing the Kobold before it could move. They kept going for a minute, until they heard a roar.

They turned, seeing Illfang down to one last bar, which was in the red section. It threw away it's axe and buckler, as Kibaou smirked "Just like the guidebook said.", however he turned, as Diavel charged with his blade. "Stand back! I got this!" he said, as his blade glowed yellow. Naruto raised an eyebrow 'What is he doing?' he thought, as Kirito also wondered 'We should surround him at this point, not have one attack directly.' he thought, as he saw Diavel smiling lightly to them before turning to the boss. Illfang gripped the handle of the blade behind him and took it from behind his back. Naruto's eyes widened slightly 'That's a nodachi, not a talwar! So, it's indeed different from the meta!' he thought, as Kirito screamed to Diavel to get away. However, it was too late, as Illfang jumped from pillar to pillar, before slicing Diavel, earning him a scream of pain. As Diavel flew away, Illfang appeared behind him and sliced him once again, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. "Diavel-san!" yelled Kibaou, before freezing in fear as Illfang appeared in front of him, roaring. Kirito and Naruto rushed at Diavel, as Kirito tried to make him drink a health potion "Why go alone?!". To his surprise, Diavel stopped him "You were… a beta tester… right?" he asked "You… should know why.". Naruto and Kirito's eyes widened in surprise "The rare item for the last hit." said Kirito as Diavel smiled. "Defeat… the boss… for everyone." he breathed out, before disappearing in dozens of light particles. Kirito widened his eyes, as tears fell down his face 'When this death game begun, I abandoned Klein, I abandoned the new players. Yet you, Diavel-san, you became a leader, you tried to help everyone. You did what I could not.' he thought. Kirito then felt a hand on his shoulder, looking into Naruto's eyes. He could feel something primal from them, a killer's instinct. "Diavel wouldn't want us to cry for his death. He would want us to finish this." he said, as Kirito nodded, steeling his resolve. He rose, taking Naruto's right side, as the figure took his left "I shall help." she said, both boys nodding.

Naruto charged first, holding his sheathed sword, as they followed him swiftly "Same strategy as the minions." he said, as they both nodded, noticing Illfang charging them. Kirito rushed forward and blocked his strike, pushing him back, yelling to switch. Asuna charged forward, only for Illfang to swing his blade at her, with Naruto yelling "Look out Asuna!". Asuna gasped, turning, as he hit her cloak, causing it to disappear and reveal her form. She had long, orange-brownish chestnut hair and round hazel eyes. She was wearing a tiny dark red leather vest, a white shirt connected to a red skirt, white pants and red boots. She also had a lightweight copper breastplate for protection. " **Linear**! She said, stabbing him and pushing him back. Naruto's eyes widened and flickered slightly at her, before becoming cold again. He rushed, unsheathing his blade and bringing it down, forcing Illfang's nodachi to crash into the ground, before jumping on it and hitting his chin, making a cut on it. He jumped back, as Asuna used a **Linear** again. Then, Kirito charged and blocked most of Illfang's strikes, only to get hit and sent crashing to Asuna, dropping his health to light green. Illfang charged at the two and swung his sword down, only for Naruto to appear in front of them and raise his blade, only to break in two, with him getting hit. However, it gave enough time for Agil and his group to push Illfang back. "Recover. We shall hold them off enough." he said, as Naruto nodded. "What will you do without your blade?" Asuna asked, as he gave a chuckle "Just watch." he said, grabbing Kirito's arm, before in an impressive display of strength, threw him forward enough to give him a running start. Kirito roared, as his blade glowed blue and jumped, striking Illfang before he could kill Agil, sending him to Naruto's way. Naruto growled, jumping high into the air, as a plain looking curved sword appeared on his hand, glowing red. He swung it at Illfang's waist, crashing him to the ground. He fell down, looking at Illfang rising to his feet. "One last hit! Help me out!" yelled Kirito, as they nodded and charged, all three blades glowing. They started a barrage on Illfang, switching between each other, giving Kirito the opportunity to slice Illfang in half with a roar, as Illfang disappeared in a shower of colours. Kirito panted, as everyone was silent. Soon roars were heard, as a 'Congratulations!' icon appeared.

Naruto approached Kirito, patting his back "You did good." he said, as Kirito nodded "Likewise. Sorry your blade broke. I know it's one of the best ones until the Sixth Floor." he said, as he shrugged "It is, but it isn't a big loss. I can fight good curved blades on the second floor and even better straight swords." he said, as Kirito nodded. They turned seeing Agil and Asuna. "Congratulations you was impressive swordsmanship. This victory belongs to you." he said. Kirito shook his head, only to hear clapping from everyone, which was soon interrupted from Kibaou. "Why? Why did you let Diavel to die!" he yelled, as everyone turned to him "You knew his attack patterns! If you had shared it, Diavel would still be alive!" he finished. Muttering begun, before accusations flew in the air that Kirito was a beta tester, with Asuna, Agil and his team to try and defend him. Naruto looked at Kirito, who gulped before starting to laugh.

He crossed his arms as Kirito rose and looked at everyone "Beta Testers? Don't add me in the same category as those amateurs. Most of the one thousand Beta Testers didn't even know how to Level up properly. The most they reached was the Tenth Floor. I on the other hand reached the Eighteenth floor. I knew his patterns, because I had faced many Katana wielding Monsters on floors above this." he said with a smirk, then pointed at Naruto "And while I know much more than any information broker or other Beta Tester, I am far from this guy's level. The legendary Maelstrom, the beater of every RPG game, who reached the twenty third floor." he said, as Naruto understood what he intended to do and didn't retaliate on his comment. Everyone widened their eyes as Kibaou spoke "That… that goes beyond a Beta Tester! You guys are cheaters!" he said, as everyone started calling them names. At one particular, Kirito smiled "Beater. I like it." he said, putting on the 'Coat of Midnight' the last hit drop he gained from the boss "From now on call me that. Don't put me in the category of a Beta Tester." he said, giving them a last smirk and going towards the exit "I shall activate the teleportation crystals for you." he said, as Naruto followed him.

"Smooth. Making ourselves a target to get the hate off the backs of Beta Testers. Real smooth Kirito." he said, as Kirito frowned "Sorry I made you a target." he said. Naruto shrugged him off "I understand. You basically painted a target on both our heads, since we're beyond the level of Beta Testers, to take off accusations from the Beta Testers. A noble move. Self sacrificing but noble. While I wouldn't do it, I agree with it's deeper meaning. What will you do?" he asked, as Kirito shrugged. "Well, how about this. You and me grind for a few floors together, until the fifth or so floor. Then, we can go our separate ways, only seeing each other in raids and if needed, helping when asked." he said, as Kirito smiled "Sounds good to me.". They kept walking up stairs, when they heard a cry of "Wait!". They turned, seeing Asuna. She looked at Naruto "You said my name." she said. He tilted his head, placing his hands on his pockets "I apologise if I offended you by addressing you informally. Or did I perhaps tell it wrong?" he asked. "How did you know it?" she asked him. Kirito pointed next to his head "You should be seeing two foreign bars around here. Aren't there names next to them?" he asked. Asuna narrowed her eyes "Ki-ri-to. Kirito. That's your name?" she asked Kirito, who nodded. She then looked at the other "Ma-el-strom." she said. "That'smy name. And what Naruto means." he said, as she looked at him for a second, then began laughing "I can't believe it. It was there all along!" she exclaimed. Kirito turned forward "You can be strong. If someone trustworthy invites you to their guild, don't turn them down. There is a limit to solo players after all." he said. She frowned "And what about you?" she asked. He didn't say anything, instead attempting to disband the party, only for Naruto to stop him. He looked at him "Would it hurt you to have her with us for the first five floors? She isn't dragging us down and the teamwork is good. She can be a very valuable ally." Naruto said, as Kirito stayed silent, then nodded.

They turned to her "Would you like to join us for the first five floors?" Kirito asked, as she nodded. They nodded in return and started walking, Asuna soon following them. They kept going up the stairs, until they came across a panel on the wall. Kirito went forward and pressed it "This panel activates the teleportation crystal on the main city of the second floor, called Urbus. We could teleport there now, but it is only a Kilometer away and since we are running short on money, killing a few monsters to get dropped loot and sell it sounds like a good idea." he said, as they nodded. They kept going up, until they saw the exit, light shining through. Going through, they finally saw where they were. They were standing near the edge of a cliff. Going near the edge, they saw the environment they were in. There were open plains, mixed with table topped mountains. They could also see the outline of the buildings of Urbus. To their left were a series of stairs, which Naruto took the initiative of descending. They looked at him and followed. As they were walking down the road, they came across several ox-like monsters. Their colour patterns ranged from brown to black, with bluish being the uncommon monsters and red the rare monsters. The common weren't a large level, only Level 12, the uncommon were 13 and the rare were 14. Kirito and Asuna mostly came across common and uncommon. They also found out that Naruto had crazy luck, as he encountered five rare monsters, while gaining drop loot that was worth a lot for their level. Combined with the Illfang battle and the other monsters he fought until they arrived to Urbus, he reached Level 18. In short, a rather successful walk for Naruto.

After a minute or two of walking, they finally came across Urbus. It wasn't a big city, only 300 meters in diameter, but it was still the largest settlement on the second floor. It seemed to be created from a crater. On the outer rim of the crater the city walls were built. It had a main street that run from the north to the south and the Teleportation Gate was in the Town Square. All buildings appeared to be of the same height, with a meter or two difference.

 _ **Urbus**_

As they walked in the Town Square, Naruto turned to Asuna "Do you know about skills?" he asked, as she smiled in embarrassment "Not really. This is my first RPG. I am not very familiar with anything." she said, as he nodded. He turned to Kirito "Could you check the weapon and item shop?" he asked, as Kirito nodded and continued. Naruto went and sat down on a bench, patting the seat next to him. She blushed lightly, before sitting down. "All right, skills are the abilities a player can use. Not the moves like your **Linear** , rather the fact you can use a rapier. It is independent of your player Level. You increase it the more you use it." he said as she nodded. "The amount of skills you can use isn't unlimited. In the start of SAO, you are given two slots. Now, a skill slot is granted at Level 6, another at Level 12, another at Level 20 and from there one slot every ten levels. So at Level 20, you can use five skills, while at Level 100 you can use thirteen skills. Now, a skill can reach level 1000, which is considered complete. If you remove it, it goes back to zero. Do you understand so far?" he asked, as she frowned but nodded. "Alright. There are three main types of skills. Weapon Skills, Combat Skills and Support skills. Weapon skills are the skills to be able to wield a weapon, like one handed sword or one handed curved sword. Combat Skills are skills that help your combat abilities, like how effectively you can use shields or heavy armour. There are also other skills like fishing but they're unimportant for now." he said, as she nodded, wondering how he could remember all of this information.

"Now, let me help you with your skills. Can you open your Skill Slots?" he asked, as she nodded, sliding her finger to open the menu and revealing her skills. He looked at them "So, you have the One-Handed Sword and the One-Handed Rapier. And since you're level 14, you also have two free slots. Now, are you ever gonna use the One-Handed sword? Cause if not, then there is no need to keep it." he said. She thought for a second, before removing it. He nodded "Alright. From the way I seen you fight, you value speed over strength, which compliments your rapier. I would suggest raising either Leather equipment or Light Metal equipment. Leather is the fastest but has the least defense. Light Metal is not as fast, but it still faster than Heavy Metal equipment and can take more damage than leather. You can think of what to use once we go to the shop. Now, I suggest adding a support skill or an outside skill, then keep a slot free for the future." he said, as she nodded and choose 'Cooking'. Then, she closed her menu, turning to look towards Naruto, who was adjusting his own skills. He had One-Handed Sword and One-Handed Curved Sword already, while he added Light Metal Equipment and kept a skill bare. He then rose "Shall we go to the Item Shop?" he asked as she nodded, rising.

They walked, doing light conversation, mostly Asuna asking him about different skills. After a few minutes, they entered the shop. It was run by an NPC old lady, with white hair tied in a bun, wearing a purple dress with a white apron above it. They sold their drops, gaining around 250 Cor. They then exited the shop, entering the Weapon Shop. Since it was only the second floor, prices were relatively cheap, as the better the quality, the higher the price. Naruto didn't buy much, except selling his leather Chestplate and buying a lightweight metal chestplate instead, made of iron. He also bought a rather normal Falchion, not as good as his first blade, but would keep him going until better swords could appear. Asuna, on the other hand, bought Lightweight metal vambraces and greaves, as she decided to keep her breastplate. Naruto nodded at her choices, as they exited the store, Kirito waiting outside. He didn't buy anything except supplies.

Naruto clapped his hands "So, seeing as it is late, how about going to an inn?" he asked, pointing at the sun who was slowly going down as Asuna nodded "Yes. I wish I could have a bath though." she said. Kirito tilted his head "The inn does have a bath inside each room." he said, only for both boys to start to sweat as Asuna gained a rather terrifying look " **Bath. Now!** " she said, as they nodded with a gulp. They quickly went to the inn and paid for a room with three beds for one night. Asuna immediately ditched them and entered the bathroom, not noticing any other part of the room. It was fairly large, with three rooms next to each other, One had two beds, the other a single bed and the final was the bathroom. The main room had a small kitchen with a table fitting four people, while there was also a couch with two armchairs and a coffee table, viewing the balcony. The room itself was painted a beige colour, with a small lamp hanging from the ceiling to provide light. Naruto sat in an armchair with a sigh, while Kirito went inside his and Naruto's room. Suddenly, Naruto heard Asuna screamed from the bathroom and rushed in without thinking. The result was seeing a woman in a cloak hiding inside the bathtub and Asuna with nothing but a towel covering her private parts. Taking in her figure was the last thing he saw, before unconsciousness took him, courtesy of a rapier's pommel flying directly onto his face.

Naruto moaned, slowly opening his eyes. He rose slightly, before groaning as he felt his head was about to explode. He placed his arm on his forehead, opening his eyes. He saw a red-faced Asuna, a sweat dropping Kirito and the hooded figure whistling. She was short, reaching Kirito's shoulder, with brown eyes and curly auburn hair. Her most noticeable characteristic were six whisker marks painted on her face. She wore full body cloth and leather armour behind that cloak. He narrowed his eyes "Of course it is you. Only you are more of a pain than a boss, Argo." he growled, as she smirked "Hi as well Ruto-kun!" she said. He sighed, before turning to Asuna "Sorry about that." he said, before rising slowly and going to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water. He took a gulp, before turning to Asuna, who looked a bit calmer but still blushing. He shook his head, before turning to Kirito "Why is she here?" he asked, as Kirito smiled "The martial Arts quest is still up on the second floor." he said, as Naruto smirked. 'Finally some good news.' he thought. "And the catch is?" he then asked warily. Kirito sighed "She must stay with us. Apparently some Ninja Wannabes are after her for the mission location." he said, as Naruto sighed "Fine. Kirito, you will take the single bedroom. Asuna, you will sleep on the double bedroom with Argo. The beds are separate, if any of you feel weird." he said, going to the armchair, pressing his feet on the table, his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. "And where will you sleep?" asked Asuna, the only response she got was silence. Then, some light snoring, causing everyone to sweatdrop. "He is asleep already." Kirito said, as all of them sighed. They each went to their rooms, sleeping after a tiring day. But no one knew, that Asuna had trouble sleeping, as the event on the bathroom kept coming to her mind.

 **Whew! There goes the second chapter! Hope you guys liked it! I have to say, I am really glad the first Chapter was favoured by many. Just so everyone knows, I intend to do a number of changes. For some of them, I will probably get more flames than what a flamethrower can create. But I won't spoil anything and I will ask your thoughts on some. Now, as you can see Naruto uses a curved blade, but will also use straight swords and Katanas, when he gets the skill. His full range of abilities won't be revealed until after an incident. Now, I do not have any questions to answer this chapter. Any you have please send them. Next Chapter will be mostly Player and Character raising, where we learn a little about everyone's past. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	3. Chapter 3:Martial Arts and Past

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the third chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the Martial Arts Mission, as well as shedding a little light to Naruto's past. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 3: Martial Arts and Past**

 _ **Urbus**_

The sun rose to the sky in the town of Urbus. By now, a larger amount of players had arrived, due to the teleportation gate working. Not only because all the Raid members arrived late, but because with the clearing of the First Floor, hope rose in many player's minds, who steeled their resolve and started preparing to join the frontlines, or going to increase their worker skills. Stores opened, as many started buying new weapons, armour and resources, getting ready to grind their skills, so as to quickly gain enough strength to find and defeat the boss of the second floor.

The light slowly illuminated the main room of the group's. The sun's rays fell on Naruto's face, who yawned, slowly rising. He opened his menu, checking the time and noticing it was still early. With a groan, he started stretching. While no matter how many push-ups and sit-ups he would do, they would make no difference in the virtual world, so he stuck to doing stretches. It made him feel more awake as he finished. He went into the bathroom and did the morning routine, bathing, cleaning his face, brushing his teeth and using the toilet. After 15 minutes, he came outside and went to the couch. He slowly placed the falchion on the couch, before going to the kitchen. Pressing a few buttons on cupboards and machines, he made some morning coffee. He poured some on a mug, when he heard the door open. He turned, seeing Asuna slowly approaching, sniffing the air. With a sigh, he poured coffee on a second mug, giving it to her "Here. It isn't very well made, as I am not a Chef, but it will wake you up." he said, as she muttered a thank you, before taking a sip. She moaned in content, as the liquid indeed woke her up. Even though it was just a pulse from the system that opened your senses, it still felt real and she enjoyed that. He took his own mug, taking a sip from it, before sitting down and placing the mug on the coffee table. He took out his falchion, observing it, as Asuna took a seat next to him. His eyes and hand slowly ran across each part of the blade, from the sharp curved edge, to the strong crossguard, to the round pommel. His eyes traced up and down the sword, looking for any irregularities.

Asuna observed him for a few moments in silence, before deciding to speak "Why are you doing that? It's a virtual sword." she said. He stopped, turning to her "Do you know what defines a good sword?" he asked, as she tilted her head "Um, how it is crafted?" she asked, as he smiled a bit behind his mask "Indeed. That is a way. But this is a sword from a virtual world, bought from an NPC store. It wasn't made from a player, so how will you determine if this sword is good for you? The type of the sword could help, but it might not be for you." he said, as she frowned. She thought for a few minutes, then sighed "I don't know." she said. He raised the sword, pointing forward, but not stretching his entire arm as his eyes told her to look at it "First, the material." he said, as he ran his other hand along the flat side "Each floor has better metals, whether in type, strength, density or quality. Knowing which metals exist in each floor, what is the best quality metal and what each metal's properties give, show you if the sword is for you. We usually split normal Weapon Metals in two types, Speed and Strength. If it's a speed type, it is made of a light metal, meant for speed over power. If it is a strength type, it is made of a heavy metal, meant for power over speed." he said, as she nodded "Makes sense." she said. He rose slightly "Pay attention to the swings." he said, swinging it around lightly. "The second factor you need to know is how strong and how flexible it is. You need to know how much damage your sword can take by a single hit and at the same time you need to know how flexible your sword is compared to it's type, otherwise bad results may occur in mid-swing." he said, as she nodded. "I see." she said. He sheathed his sword, then sat down "But I do it most of all because it feels good." he said, sipping coffee.

She glared at him, before noticing something "How do you drink with the mask on?" she asked. "I would like to hear that as well." said Kirito, drinking coffee, while Argo was next to him with a smirk, drinking a glass of milk from the kitchen. He shook his finger "Sorry not telling. Trade secret." he said, as Asuna pouted, Kirito chuckled and Argo whined "Come on Ruto-kun!" she said. "It is final." he spoke, as her head dropped. He gulped down the last of his coffee, before rising. He opened his menu "It is 8:30 am. In nine, we shall make our way to the place with the martial arts mission. You do remember how to go there?" he asked Argo, who nodded with a grin "I do." she said. Kirito turned to her "Anything wrong we should expect?" he asked, as she then started to sweat. Naruto narrowed his eyes "Argo… what happens during the quest?" he asked.

 _ **South Mountain**_

"Argo. I hate you a lot." said Naruto, as Kirito cried in anger at the task. They had to go to the other side of the floor, to find the task. It took them three hours, battling monsters along the way, as it turned noon, but they managed. Only to find they had to climb a very tall mountain. So they ate lunch, rested a bit, before climbing the mountain, which was a task by itself, as it took them over two hours. Finally, they reached the hut for the quest. But, to their displeasure, they found out that once they accepted, the old lady painted whiskers on their cheeks, then pointed towards two enormous rocks outside and told them to break them with their bare hands. The problem, beside the fact they were rocks, was that the particular rocks were almost as strong as an 'Immortal Object'. So, they were stuck for an hour trying to break the rock, under the giggles and laughs of Asuna and Argo.

"Oh come on Ruto-kun! It won't take long, I hope!" she said, before laughing, as Asuna couldn't hold herself, laughing as well. He growled, turning to the rocks. His own had light cracks on them, while Kirito's barely had any cracks. They were doing this for three hours. After thirty minutes, with a roar, he rose and took off his upper clothing, as Asuna blushed heavily. Then, with a roar, he fell into a stance and started punching the rock repeatedly with both of his hands, using all of his might. 'Faster. Faster!' he thought, his punches appearing as blurs, as to the shock of everyone, cracks started to forming, larger, wider and faster. Then, with a final punch, the rock broke in a million pieces, which turned to blue particles. He panted slightly, before grinning. The old lady came and removed the marks, while giving him the 'Martial Arts' skill, which he added to his free Skill Slot, along with enough experience to get him near Level 19. He clenched his hands a little, before curling his fingers into a fist, which gained a blue glow. Then, to everyone's surprise, he yelled " **Senda**!", before firing a quick uppercut in the air, so quick that even Asuna couldn't track it. He nodded to himself, before putting on his Upper Clothing.

He went and sat down next to Asuna, before giving Argo a bop in the head, causing her to pout. She then whelped as she felt another. She turned to him "What was that for Ruto-baka!" she yelled. "For Kirito." he said, taking out an apple and starting to chew on it. She turned to him "How did you do that? I thought the martial arts skill gave access to more weapons fighting styles and techniques." she asked, as he shook his head "No it doesn't. It is the only skill which allows you to use your arms and legs to cause actual damage. What I used was Senda, a basic uppercut." he said, as she nodded. He rose "Let us train for a while, until Kirito finishes. Argo, is there any grinding spot near here?" he asked, tossing her some Cor. She counted it and smirked "Go down that path. At 30 meters of descend turn left, to a thin passageway of rocks. You will find a cave somewhere near the end. Inside is a large clearing where Level 16 mobs spawn, called **Jagged Worms**. After defeating 10 of them each, there's a 5 percent chance of a Jagged Worm that is Level 17, which instead of being a greyish-white, is a greyish-pink colour." she said, as he nodded "Come on Asuna. We shall get you to Level 18 by the time Kirito finishes." he said, as a small feeling of dread encompassed her senses.

 _ **Urbus**_

A day had passed since Naruto, Kirito and Asuna went up the mountain so that Naruto and Kirito could access the Martial Arts Skill. Kirito spent all night punching the rock, until he eventually succeeded by the time the sun rose. They let him sleep until noon, then they took the long journey back to Urbus. However, it took them longer as during the afternoon, monster respawns started becoming faster. They were so many, that Naruto reached Level 20, Kirito reached Level 19 and Asuna was close to levelling up as well. But eventually, they went back to Urbus in the evening. After purchasing the same room for one more night, they sat with groans on the living room. The boys took a seat in the couch, the girl in the armchair. They had bought some sandwiches on the way, so they sat in the living room, eating them. Kirito bought two with sausage, cheese, tomato, lettuce and cream. Asuna bought one with Chicken, cheese, fries and cream. Naruto, he bought four. He bought one like Kirito's, one like Asuna's, one with ham, cheese, tomato and cream and one with minced meat, eggs, pepper and onions. When they turned to look at him, he shrugged and said "I need lots of food, because I burn calories at a very fast rate." he answered. And it was indeed true, as by the time Kirito begun his second and Asuna was almost at the end of hers, he had only one left. However, to their second surprise, he wasn't eating like a pig. On the contrary, he ate like nobility, but he quickly chewed anything that entered his mouth, even the sausage's ends, which were the toughest parts for Kirito. Sighing in content, he went to the kitchen to get some drinks, returning by the time they finished their meals. He gave each a glass of juice, which they took happily. Kirito took a few gulps, before turning to them "I think we should go hit the Labyrinth tomorrow. With luck, we will map out the entire floor and possibly find the boss itself." he said, as Asuna widened her eyes. Naruto nodded "That sounds like a good idea, but unless we got a fourth member, I would go against challenging the boss itself." he said, as they nodded. "Indeed, you're right. I suppose that is a plan." said Kirito.

Asuna then said something that surprised them "How dedicated are you two in Gaming?" she asked, as they both looked at her. They looked at each other once, then Kirito spoke with a smile "Well, as you know, we were the two greatest Beta Testers. I am also interested in computers in real life." he said. "What do your parents think about it?" she asked, as he frowned "The truth is my parents died when I was a baby. My uncle and aunt raised me, along with my cousin." he said, as Asuna looked sad "I'm sorry." she said as he shook his head "It's fine. I was a baby so it's not a very painful topic." he said. She nodded then warily turned to Naruto. He looked at her "I am Maelstrom, the best gamer in the world, as well as a Hacker, programmer and technology expert." he said, as Kirito smirked "He is the one who showed me where to get the best computer parts at the best prices." he said. Asuna widened her eyes, then narrowed them "I bet you're parents are always shouting at you." she said, as Naruto frowned, lowering his head. Kirito sighed "From what he told me, his parents are so busy they rarely spend time with him. He says he has only talked to his parents for around a quarter of his life, rarely seeing them for more than four hours a day and even then, they only ask for his studies." he said, as Asuna widened her eyes even more. She looked at him, as her eyes watered "I am sorry I made you-" she was about to say, only for a finger to be placed on her lips, as Naruto appeared in front of her. Slowly, he pressed his thumb under her eyes, wiping off the tears. He went back down and smiled "It is fine. I have grown over it." he said, though inwardly he was thinking what did they think of his condition. He assumed they placed him on a hospital and went on with their lives. But he was wrong.

 _ **Tokyo Hospital**_

An elevator opened in the third floor of the most advanced hospital in all of Japan and one of the most advanced hospitals in the world. From inside came a young man, around his mid-thirties, with spiky shoulder-length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a green business man outfit, with an olive shirt and a black tie. On his right arm was a briefcase made of black leather. He was Namikaze Minato, co-owner of NUC and owner of Triangle. Right now, he was walking through the corridors, until he reached room 199. Opening the door, he came inside a single hospital room. The floor was made of wooden planks and looked polished. A television was on one wall. Opposite, stood a large bed with life support machines. On the bed was Naruto, wearing a hospital gown, with the NerveGear attached on his head. Next to the bed, sitting on a chair was a woman. She was around her thirties, with long red hair and round violet eyes. She was wearing a female business outfit, with black pants, black shoes, a red shirt and a black blazer. She was Uzumaki Kushina, co-owner of NUC and owner of Whirlpool. At the moment she was sitting on the chair, looking down at her hands, which were holding something. It was a single necklace. The most noticeable thing was that instead of a stone, it had a white computer chip, on a gold plate. The gold plate had the engraving of U.K. It also had a small round heart. When opened, it showed on one side a family photo when Naruto was 12, the time they started spending the least amount of time with him. On the other side, was a small text: 'To the most beautiful and most kind mother in the world. Your son, Naruto.'.

She looked at Minato, as tears were flowing down her cheeks, as he approached her and held her shoulder. They both looked at Naruto, who was in the comatose-like state for over a month. She then looked down at the necklace "He gave this to me on my birthday when he was thirteen. Yet, all I said was a simple 'Thank you sweetie', then went back to work. Our work took away the most important years of his life. When he was very young, we were still busy, but we took care of him. I know he must barely remember those days, as he was young. He probably remembers some good times when he was ten." she said, as tears started hitting the necklace. "B-But after he became twelve, with the organization becoming the most successful in Japan and the third most successful in the world, we were too busy, we barely spent time with him. I only remember him at breakfast, lunch, dinner and when we talked about his life. We made him learn all those things, when all we should have done is spend time with him." she said, closing her eyes as she brought the necklace to her chest "I didn't spend time with him! I, his mother! I don't know what kind of girls he likes, I don't know how many friends he has! I don't even know if he has any dream we didn't make for him!" she was crying loudly now, before slamming her head on Minato's chest, who held her close. Tears were flowing down his eyes "I am his father, yet I haven't spend time with him. I never bonded with him as a father and son should. I never went out with him to see his interests. I failed as a parent…" he said. Kushina left his chest, before kneeling in front of the bed and crying on Naruto's arm "Come back Naruto-kun! Come back! I promise you! We shall be a family again! We will do whatever you desire! We will even leave the company! **Just come back**!" she cried out, as Minato rubbed her back, as his eyes were red.

 _ **Urbus**_

The morning sun shone brightly in Urbus, as the trio were once again getting ready for the journey to the Labyrinth. Last night, after learning about their families, they talked about their likes, dislikes and dreams. As it turned out, Kirito wanted to become a full-time programmer and Naruto wanted to be part of the military, while Asuna didn't have any. They also learned several likes and dislikes. But right now, they were preparing to go to the labyrinth. Naruto turned to them "How are you guys on supplies?" he asked, as Asuna responded "I got health potions for me, along with spares. I also have food." she said, as Kirito nodded "I am well. I brought extra food." he said, as Naruto nodded "Alright. I brought extra of both. We will hold." he said, as they exited the inn. They walked for a few minutes through the town, explaining to Asuna how they were going to clear the labyrinth, when they heard two shouts. They turned, seeing two girls approaching them. One had pink hair, being kept with a white hairpin and dark pink eyes. She was wearing a brown skirt, brown leather boots and a red shirt. She also wore light metal protection, composed of a breastplate, vambraces and greaves. Finally, an iron mace was at her side. The next girl was short compared to the first, with brown hair tied in two ponytails with red ribbons and dark pink eyes. She was wearing a red skirt, brown leather boots and a white shirt with red sleeves. She also wore a bronze breastplate and red white gloves with bronze plates upon them. Finally, a dagger was hanging from her white belt. The taller girl spoke first "Hello! I am Lisbeth and this is Silica! From your appearance, we can tell you're experienced players and we overheard you going to the Labyrinth. Could you take us with you?" Lisbeth asked. Kirito raised an eyebrow "What are your levels? Mine is 19, Naruto here is Level 20 and Asuna is Level 18." he said, showing them that they didn't want them to slow them down. Lisbeth smiled "Both me and Silica are Level 15. While we aren't close to your Level, we aren't that far either." she said. Naruto scratched his chin "We can take you with us, on the condition you help us with the Boss. Do not worry, he is weaker than the First Floor, not to mention doesn't have Minions. We will need you for support, or in case it has changed and there are minions." he said, remembering Illfang's nodachi. The girls looked at each other, before Silica spoke with a smile "We accept!" they said. Naruto smirked, as Asuna waved and Kirito added them to the party. After checking that the girls were prepared, they made their way to the Labyrinth.

 _ **Labyrinth**_

While they were called Labyrinth's, in reality they were dungeons with many hallways and mini-floors. But this one looked like an actual Labyrinth. On their way here, they found out that Lisbeth was a Hammer user and Silica was a Dagger-user, which brought versatility to the previously sword-only group. Naruto had explained through the guidebook about the Boss, which was called **Baran the General Taurus.** It had three HP bars, just like Illfang. It wielded a large gold hammer. It attacked with his hammer and had a paralysis effect when bringing down his hammer. If the same Debuff skill was used twice, the paralysis worsened. Also, it seemed to go into a frenzy when the last bar reached red. They formulated a simple tactic. Naruto and Kirito would draw it's attention, blocking it's hammer swings and keeping the Hate focused on them, while Asuna and the girls would slowly decrease it's life. They did it as Naruto and Kirito were tanks compared to the rest. With that in mind, they descended further in the Labyrinth.

It was a literal maze inside, with many twists, turns and different rooms. Throughout their exploring, they encountered monsters called **Lesser Taurus Striker**. They were bipedal beings, with a muscular upper torso resembling a human, but with legs, tail and head of a bull. It wore a leather cloth to hide his privates and strap-type armour that formed an 'X' on his torso. They were equipped with hammers and attacked like they were possessed. However, they weren't two hard to kill, being the same Level as Silica and Lisbeth. After two hours inside, both Silica and Lisbeth reached Level 16, while Asuna became Level 19. They also, to their happiness, found the boss room. It stood behind two large doors made of black iron, with bull engravings on them, while the handles were the heads of bulls. They were about to enter, when a voice stopped them.

"I should have expected you to be here." Agil said. They turned, looking at him. He hadn't changed much, except changing his leather breastplate into an Iron one. Behind him, were 3 people, all wearing light gear and holding weapons. They remembered them as they were some of the members of Agil's party in the First Floor Battle. Naruto smirked, shaking hands with him "How are you Agil?" he asked as Agil smirked "I am well." he said, as Asuna raised an eyebrow with a smile "What brings you here Agil-san?" she asked. He turned to her "I came with my pals to the Labyrinth to help map it out. But imagine my surprise when no mobs spawned in most places. I eventually followed routes and found you here." he said "So, you're taking on the boss?" he asked. Kirito nodded "Indeed. Would you like to join us?" he asked, as he nodded "Sure, count on it." he said.

Naruto nodded "Alright. Listen up everyone. This is our boss." he said, giving them information regarding it. "Now, we don't know if it's the same as the Beta, so we must be careful. We have to fight it with caution, while thinking it is still the same. Now, Agil, I want you and your group to draw it's fire. If you find a moment to strike seize it. My group will focus on the offensive, trying to find weak spots. When it's hate turns to us, we will hold it, giving you time to regroup, heal and if possible, attack. We will be switching in like that. If a need to change plan arises, I shall tell you then. Any questions? No? Good." he said, turning to the doors. He pushed them forward "Let's take down a bull." he said, as they all drew their blades and descended into darkness.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! So, Naruto and Kirito gained the Martial Arts Skill, Lisbeth and Silica made an early appearance and they will fight the boss, with the help of Agil. We also had a Minato/Kushina appearance. Now, I shall reveal a bit about Naruto's skills. As you can understand, in terms of offense, he can use both straight and curved blades. The only reason I added curved blades, was for him to gain the Katana skill. Once he does, he will remove the Curved Blade. He also has Martial Arts. And for defense, he will have his Light Armor. I won't reveal any combat or support skills. Now, after the next Chapter, there will be a timeskip, to show a very important event of the story, but I will show flashbacks of some events I consider necessary at the time. After the timeskip, two or three Chapters will appear, before that important event will kickstart a Second Time Skip. After that Time Skip, we will be around the time Kirito got the Dark Repulser. I am just notifying you. Now, as always, send me any questions you have. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	4. Chapter 4: Baran and Emotions

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the fourth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the fight with the second boss and we find more about SAO and Naruto's feelings. As always, check Author's note. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 4: Baran and Emotions**

 _ **Urbus**_

The two parties slowly descended into the darkness, their weapons drawn and ready to be used. Naruto was first in, searching for the boss. Suddenly, the room lit up, revealing the boss room. They were in a prison hall, similar to the ones in medieval castles. It appeared to be the same length as Illfang's room. The stone looked old, cracked and mossy. Torches lit up the entire room. On the side walls, were empty cages, too large for a human. Suddenly, they heard the sound of heavy marching. From the darkness came **Baran the General Taurus.** He was tall, standing at nine feet, with rippling muscles covered in red fur. His upper part was bare, while his waist was covered in a golden cloth. A golden chain hanged over his shoulder, while he wielded a golden hammer, that possessed a magic shine to it. Baran's eyes were gold, glowing like miniature stars. He roared, as three HP bars appeared, the raid group getting ready. Naruto raised his sword "Begin!" he said, as everyone charged with a roar.

Agil and his members charged first, attacking the large bull to draw the Hate on them. Baran attacked them with his fists and hammer, but the men stood their ground, roaring and pushing it back. Agil swung his glowing green blade on it's stomach, causing the bull to roar in pain. "Group A do a combo attack!" yelled Naruto. Kirito and Lisbeth started hitting it's legs, Asuna did a barrage on his back, while Naruto and Silica slicing his sides. They jumped back, as the bull roared and charged at them. "Group B recover!" he said, as the members of Agil's party started drinking Health Potions and recovering health. While doing so, Group A defended against the assault of Baran, with Naruto and Kirito blocking most of the attacks. Then, Agil jumped in the air and struck with his axe Baran's back, causing it to roar. They kept going for ten minutes like this, the groups switching between attack and defense successfully, steadily depleting Baran's health. Once his first HP bar, was gone, the same with his second, Baran struck his hammer to the ground, releasing a shockwave of sparks that paralyzed those nearby. However, the shocking was that it also caused a small amount of damage. When he did it again, the paralysis got worse. Kirito saved Silica from getting squashed by Baran, as she was hit from the secondary paralysis. However, the shock came during the final moments of the battle.

Once Baran's last HP bar got to the red zone, his eyes glowed red, roaring as a reddish aura surrounded him. The prison cells on the walls opened and many Lesser Taurus Striker's charged in, roaring and attacking. Baran swung his fist, hitting Asuna and sending her flying. "Asuna!" yelled Naruto, running and catching her. He turned "Group A! Group B! Regroup to my position! Kirito stun Baran for a while!" he said, as Kirito nodded and used **Sonic Leap** on Baran's head, hitting the horns. Baran roared and started stumbling, which Naruto took notice. He rose Asuna to her feet, looking at the dozens of approaching minions, all at Level 14. He sighed, before rising and holding his sword tightly. "Group A, Group B. Defeat the minions. Don't let them come near Baran. I will handle the Boss myself." he said. They were about to retort, but Naruto's look silenced them. Kirito sighed "I trust you. Let's go!" he said,

charging at the minions first, the others following him.

Naruto sighed, before narrowing his eyes at Baran's rapidly approaching form, who had thrown away the hammer and instead rushed with his fists coated in red aura. 'His HP is on the red, so it won't take many attacks. But he is in a berserker status. His attacks will most likely be faster, stronger and more regular. I need to be on the defensive. I must focus on dodging attacks and countering. And most of all, I must reach his head!" he thought, sprinting forward and rolling under Baran's feet, just in time to avoid an earth-shattering punch. He turned, only to leap backwards at a backhand 'Crap. He is much faster and stronger than I anticipated.' he thought. He dodged two punches and stabbed Baran's chest, before placing his legs on Baran's own and jumping, attempting to strike his head, only for Baran to headbutt Naruto to the other side of the room. Naruto skidded to the ground and painfully stood up. He check his and his party's health ' hit made me lose 30 percent of my health. Two more of those attacks and I will be a goner. And from what it looks like the mobs quickly respawn. Asuna and Kirito are at 70 percent health, while Lisbeth and Silica are at 60. I must hurry.' he thought. He rose and crouched, before putting back his falchion and taking out an iron straight sword. He charged, using **Rage Spike** and closing the distance between the charging Baran, slicing it's sides. He then turned and used **Sonic Leap** , to strike it's horns, causing it to freeze. Then, with a roar he started slicing it's torso repeatedly, dropping it's health. However, the boss soon recovered and hit his chin with his fist, sending Naruto into the air. But when he was high enough in the air, he raised his sword, as it glowed yellow. " **Vertical**!" he yelled, before delivering a downward swing from Baran's head to waist, as a red line appeared on the bull's body. Then, it roared, breaking into green particles.

Naruto panted, as he saw all the minions disappearing, while a 'Congratulations!' message popped up. He grinned slightly, as he gained enough experience to go to Level 21, but at the same time he sighed, knowing it would be more difficult to Level up from now on. He was also happy at the amount of Cor he gained, significantly more than last time, as they were far less players. He was also happy, as the message for the Last Attack Item popped up. Before he could open it, he saw Asuna approaching "Naruto! You alright? I saw your Health going near red!" she said worriedly. He smiled at her "I am fine." he said, only to raise an eyebrow as she hugged him, too surprised by the gesture. Realising what she did, she blushed and quickly let go "I-I am glad you're safe, idiot." she said with a huff, as he nodded "Right." he said, pressing the button to reveal the item. The moment he saw it, his eye twitched before yelling "Really?! Really?! Kirito kills Illfang and gets a cool coat. I defeat Baran and get Gold Boxers with a bull heads on them!" he was trembling, holding it out for the world to see, as everyone started laughing. He looked at it before yelling again "And it doesn't even have a special attribute or stats! So there's not even a need to wear them!" he roared, as the laughter increased. He growled, throwing them to Agil "There! Take them as thanks for helping defeat the boss!" he yelled, as Agil grinned and accepted them.

Once Naruto calmed down, he turned to Agil with a smile "In all seriousness Agil, thank you for helping us. If you didn't, we would have a lot of difficulty fighting the boss." he said, as Agil nodded "It was a pleasure." he said, as they bumped fists. Kirito then spoke up "I think this battle only cements the fact many things have changed, so I suggest from next time, we begin forming Raid Groups. After players map the dungeon and discover the Boss Room, we announce a conference on a location, where all the players who wish to attend the Raid can come. Then, we form a strategy on how to take down the boss." he said, as everyone nodded. Naruto turned to Agil "It's decided. Agil, can you inform everyone that the third floor is finally accessible? We shall open the teleportation crystals." he said, as Agil nodded "Sure. Take care!" he said, as he and his friends went back.

Naruto turned to Lisbeth and Silica "I apologise if you got hurt, since the boss proved to be more difficult than we thought." he said, as they shook their heads. "It is fine Naruto-san! Besides, with the entire battle, me and Lisbeth only need little XP to get to Level 17." Silica said, as Naruto nodded with a smile "If you say so.". Asuna then spoke "What will you girls do now?" she asked. "Well, we are gonna go immediately on the 3rd Floor and to the main settlement." she said, as Kirito nodded "Alright. We will activate the Teleportation Crystals, then we will go to the Second Floor. We got some quests to do." he said, as the girls nodded. They added them to their friends list and waved goodbye. Kirito then went to activate the Teleportation Crystals, leaving Naruto and Asuna alone.

"You did very well today." said Naruto, arranging his inventory. She smiled "Thank you. But what quests would we do? I mean, I think we are too high for them to be worth anything." she said. He shook his head "While the monsters won't give us significant XP, the quest will, not to mention Cor. Plus, there are item rewards, one which you will particularly like." he said, as she raised an eyebrow "And what is that?" she asked. He closed his menu and turned to her "There is a mission where you have to kill numerous monsters in a specific amount of time. If you achieve it, you gain a 'Wind Fleuret', which is the best Rapier until the Fifth Floor." he said, as she narrowed her eyes "And we couldn't get it before the Boss Room, why?" she asked, as he sighed. "To be honest, it is the most difficult mission on the Second Floor. Each 5 Floors got monsters with 20 levels of difference between the first and the last. So, until we reach the Sixth Floor, Level 20 monsters will be the maximum Level, with the 5th Floor having them regularly." he explained. "I wanted you to reach Level 19 at least, before battling it." he said, as she nodded. "I understand then. But we must do it, first thing today!" she said. "Fineeee." he said with a sigh. At that moment Kirito arrived "I activated the Teleportation Crystals." he said, as they nodded. "Alright. Let us go to the mission Location." he said, as they used their crystals to exit the dungeon.

 _ **West**_

The group of three travelled in the West part of the Second Floor. It was a large savanna, with numerous buffalo like monsters. They defeated a few for drops on their way. In the middle of the savannah, they could spot a tiny settlement. They made their way there, as Naruto explained that was the place the quest would start. It had a small item shop and a weapon shop. The quest was inside the weapon shop, where they talked to the owner. He gave them a bet that if they killed 30 wasps each in 3 minutes, he would give them three choices between nine items. They accepted it and went a hundred yards west of the settlement. Then, they found the area where the **WindWasps** spawned, as a red circle surrounded it. The wasps were large, earthen black in colour with green stripes and large stingers. The moment they stepped it, a timer appeared. They immediately took their blades and charged.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" said Naruto "The wasps will dive and assume different positions depending on the attack. If it is straight, it will bite. If it is 'V' shape, it will be ready to use the stinger. After each attack, there will be a five second cooldown." he said. "It's weakpoint is the base of it's stomach. Watch out in case they surround you, be careful of their stingers as they cause a paralysis effect and keep looking at the time!" he said and stabbed a Wasp in the stomach, causing it to die. Naruto said " **Reaver!** " and swung his blade at three Wasps, killing them instantly. Asuna charged with her **Linear** , using it in quick-succession, as she killed Wasps by thrusting into their bellies. Kirito swung his sword at any Wasp he could find, using his **Slant** attack to slice Wasps in half. They continued, switching between themselves in case of trouble and finished the wasps in two minutes. To their surprise, they each got one **Needle of WindWasp** , which according to Kirito, was an enhancement item. Naruto, to their surprise, asked if he could have them. They both gave them to him, with Kirito having an idea of what he wanted them.

Satisfied, they made their way back to the settlement and accepted the mission. Then, the owner offered them nine choices and they had to choose three. First was experience, second was Cor, third was the Wind Fleuret, fourth was an axe, fifth was a hammer, sixth was a spear, seventh was a dagger, eighth was a shield and ninth was a full leather set. They chose the Cor, the experience and the Wind Fleuret. Asuna smiled, swinging it around and loving it's feeling. Naruto extended his arm "Could I have it for a few moments? I swear I won't do anything bad with it." he said, as she nodded, with a small frown. He took the sword and opened a menu, ordering something the NPC. The owner nodded and took the sword, going to the door. Beating sounds were heard, as Asuna made an attempt to charge inside, only for Kirito to stop her. Then, the NPC came out and gave the sword to Naruto. Naruto nodded in thanks, gave some Cor and gave the sword to Asuna. She looked at it in surprise, as it looked sharper and tougher. "What did you do?" she asked. He smirked "I enhanced it. I raised it's cutting power by two and it's durability by one. The needles are enhancement items. I didn't say anything to surprise you." he said with a grin. She looked at Naruto, then at the blade, before hugging him with a smile. "Thank you! It's great!" she said, as Naruto's eyes widened for a second, a new feeling rising from inside him, before pushing it down and returned the hug. Asuna let go and instantly left, to go use it.

Naruto sighed and turned, only to see Kirito smirking "What?" he asked. "Do you like her?" he asked, as Naruto raised an eyebrow "Don't be ridiculous." he said. Kirito kept smirking "Naruto. I know you don't have many friends because of personal issues. I know that you're like me, a Solo player. But if you didn't like her, you would have shown her the basics at the second floor and you would have left her, me too. Also, I know. You never do anything without a logical or emotional reason. And in both of our cases, logic usually prevails over emotions. We're both loners. But if I had a girl I liked in SAO, I would easily lose all the enhancements to make her happy." he said, as Naruto stayed silent. Finally he spoke "I don't know exactly what I feel. I don't know if I like her. True, unique….emotions rise from me, but I don't know if it's attraction, or love. Only the future would tell." he said in a sad tone. Kirito frowned "And if it is love?" he asked. Naruto frowned "I don't know how to deal with it." he said, sighing. He smiled at Kirito "Kirito, I will ask this from you. From one dear friend to another. Please don't say anything." he said. Kirito nodded, causing Naruto to smile more "Thank you." he said, then returned to his normal behaviour "I believe we left our third party member alone for a while don't you think?" he asked, exiting the store. Kirito sighed, following him.

They found Asuna a few feet away from the spot they defeated the Wasps. She was looking beyond the end of the savannah, at what appeared to be a wasteland. "What is that?" she asked, once Naruto and Kirito approached her. Kirito frowned "Dungeon Area." he said. "Dungeon Area?" she asked. "Dungeons are places with Dungeon Bosses. They are similar in power to the Floor Bosses. Once you defeat them, you gain a unique item. The difference with Floor Bosses is, that while Floor Bosses can be defeated only once, unless only one player fights them, Dungeon Bosses can be defeated infinitely. They also have Last Attack Bonus, but unlike Floor Bosses, it isn't one item. It can range from one to hundreds of items, with a different chance of earning them. And those items you gain from a chest that appears on the corpse of the Boss. Besides the Last Attack Bonus, it also has other items, XP and Cor." he explained. Asuna raised an eyebrow "And why aren't we fighting them?" she raised an eyebrow. "Because Dungeon Bosses are tougher than Field Bosses. To have a chance of defeating them, you need to be at least five levels higher than the Floor Boss guarding the floor the dungeon is located. So, we need to be at Level 28 to have a significant chance of victory." he said. "Also, something regarding Bosses. The Bosses of Floors one, twenty five, fifty, seventy five and one hundred are definitely and significantly stronger than other bosses. For example, the Boss of Floor 25 will most likely be even stronger than the Boss of Level 28." he said, to Asuna's surprise. "When it comes to Dungeon Bosses, it is the same. The Dungeon Bosses of Floors one, twenty five, fifty, seventy five and ninety are far stronger than normal Dungeon Bosses. I say ninety because there is no Dungeon on the final floor. And each of these Dungeons, need requirements to be completed that are on higher Levels. It is reported that you can't enter those Dungeons without reaching Floor 70." he said, to Asuna's dread. "So, we ignore it?" she asked, as they nodded. "Wait, you said Floor Bosses can only be defeated once, unless only one player joins. Why do you mean?". Kirito frowned "Ever wondered why most Beta Testers didn't reach the same floors, how I reached only the Eighteenth Floor? Same with Naruto, but on the Twenty third Floor?" he asked, as she nodded. "Well, when a party does a raid, the room becomes clear and the boss shall never appear again, for all SAO players. But, if one player alone fights a boss, that player alone gets access to the floor. Not only that, he can do it again. But there are two downsides." he said. "One, when a single player enters, the Cardinal System of Sword Art Online instantly changes the attack patterns of the Boss, creating an infinite number, except the ones the boss uses in Parties. That means that even if one fought against a Boss, only the appearance and the weapon would stay the same. Fighting styles would change. Secondly, while the Beta Test monsters were easy enough to battle Solo if you reached a lot of Levels, the complete SAO has much harder Bosses, not to mention you got a single life. If someone thought to Tank a Boss on his own, he either wants to die, or wants to accomplish something so much not even death will stop him." Naruto said with a frown. They stopped the conversation there, deciding to go back to Urbus.

 _ **Urbus**_

It was nighttime in Urbus when the group arrived. As it was late and they were tired, they rented a room once again and went to sleep immediately. However, around 4 am at night, a crash was heard. Naruto jolted up and jumped outside, still wearing his clothes, his sword drawn. He looked at a shocked Asuna, wearing a pink nightgown, green particles coming from the ground. He sighed, sheathing his blade, with Kirito rubbing his eyes and wearing a black T-Shirt and black shorts "What's going on?" he asked. "Asuna broke a glass." he said, as she looked embarrassed "Sorry I woke you guys up." she said, as they nodded. Naruto went to the couch "I don't feel asleep." he simply said. Kirito nodded and closed the lights, going back to bed.

Asuna sat next to Naruto "Sorry if I woke you up. It's difficult for me to sleep here." she said. He raised an eyebrow "Why is that?" he asked. "I was dreaming of the real world. I was dreaming of what would happen if this all was a dream." she said "I've been having this dream ever since I came here." she replied. He looked outside "I thought you wanted to go back." he said. She nodded "I do. But now, it's different. I don't want this to be a dream. I made friends here. You and Kirito-kun. Agil-san, Lisbeth-chan and Silica-chan, I believe I will soon consider them friends too. I don't want to lose that." she said, as he nodded "I understand.". She turned to him "What will happen after the Third Floor?" she asked. He sighed "Well, most likely Kirito will leave and go solo, with me following on the Fifth floor." he said, as she looked sad. "Don't worry, by that time I will have taught you all you need to know to survive and it's not like we cannot team up for some grinding every once in awhile. We will also see each other on Boss meetings." he said. She nodded "Right, we won't cut ties." she said with a smile. He looked down at his arms "If someone you trust invites you to their guild, accept it. You have the chance to become strong. Soloing isn't your style. Teamwork is your key of strength." he said. She tilted her head "What about you?". He looked up "I will be Solo for as long as possible. But whatever happens." he said, turning to her "I will always support you." he said with a small smile.

She blushed and smiled back "Thank you." she said. She laid her head on his own, as he blushed at the contact. He turned, seeing her fall asleep. He sighed and laid there, as she was leaning on him, sleeping soundly. His eyes watched her intently 'Love… could it be? Could I… have fallen in love?' he asked. He shook his head slowly 'No, it's too early for that. But whatever happens between us Asuna, I will always be your friend, as you were one of my first.' he said, falling asleep soon enough.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I sure loved it! Naruto defeated Baran, Asuna gained a Wind Fleuret and we find more regarding Naruto's feelings. Now, to answer questions. Firstly, I know that is not how Asuna gained the Wind Fleuret, I decided to change it. As for the Boss information, when I was writing this,something clicked in me. I don't remember any explanation either. How could Kirito reach floors others dreamed about in the beta test, yet the others couldn't? Let's ignore the Boss Fight itself, or how he Soloed it. Kirito was made to be OP, so I won't indulge much in the fight details. I will indulge in the implication however. Shouldn't the teleportation crystals activate for all players? If so, when Kirito reached let's say Floor 15, other players could teleport there, get into parties and all of them focus on one Monster at the time. I have tried this tactic on RPG's. If you know what to fight, you can easily get lots of Experience. They would easily be able to fight the Bosses together. But even if we ignore that, even if they couldn't fight the Bosses, what stopped them for teleporting? Kirito not activating the Crystals? I know him as a Solo Player, not as a Prick. Or did Kayaba not add Teleport Crystals until after the Beta? I don't think so either. Whatever, I could go for a while. The point is, I consider it possible for a player to Solo a Boss, go the next Floor and have access to it. Only downside, he alone will have access to the floor. For the full boss defeat and the global access, a party of even two players is needed. You can find information to correct me regarding this matter, but this is how it will be in the story. Those two are the biggest questions I answered. Anything else, ask me freely. Now, before I close, I got one question for you. What weapons do you want Naruto to dual wield? Be specific. For example, Katana and Wakizashi or Longsword and Short Sword, or Kodachi and Greatsword. I just gave examples. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	5. Chapter 5:The Calm Before The Storm

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the fifth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the day before the fight on the 50th Floor. Remember a time-skip has been set on this Chapter. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm**

 _ **Algade**_

One year. It has been one year since this horrible game had started. One year since 10.000 players were trapped in a game of Death. One year since 2.000 players suicided. And almost a year since the first two floors were beat in record time, filling everyone with courage and hope that Sword Art Online is not an unbeatable game. Ever since then, with the ability to create guilds after the third Floor, the numbers of Players that were fighting on the frontlines to clear the game increased. At the beginning, it was a few dozen. Now, their numbers increased to over a thousand, with the majority coming from the two biggest guilds, the Knights of the Blood, or KoB and the Divine Dragon Alliance, or DDA. Those two combined formed over half of the clearing rest came from smaller guilds, or Solo players. They were also supported by several hundreds of the worker class, blacksmiths, woodworkers, tailors, miners, lumbers and alchemists. They all worked together with one purpose, to clear the game. Not only did their numbers increased, but also their tactics. At the start, they simply rushed in with the knowledge of the manual, or Naruto's after the 18th floor. But after the 23rd floor, they were blind, having no information. They had to be careful then, so they used a basic formula on each floor. After the completion, the players would explore the Floor on their own, completing quests and mapping the Labyrinth. Then, they would send a small scout party to combat the boss for a while and see it's attacks, patterns, possible minions and in general, gather information. Finally, a meeting would be held, discussing their strategy. One such meeting, was held in the city of Algade.

Algade was the second largest city in all of Aincrad, with the Starting Town being the largest. However, after The Army guild abandoned clearing and took over Starting Town, Algade became the most populated city of players. It is a messy city, with several alleyways, reminding people of a Labyrinth. It had weird shops and alarming inns. Right now, on the Town Hall of the City, a meeting was organized, among the Clearers. Meetings were held to discuss the strategy of how to fight the boss, organize the parties and most of all, select their leaders. On the starting floors, the majority of the leaders were Beta Testers, with Naruto having organized over ten Raids. Afterwards, the leaders were mostly either from the KoB or DDA, or from solo-players who could think of a better strategy that the majority accepted. While tensions were always high, today they reached a critical point.

The Town Hall in Algade was possibly the only beautiful public building. It was a beige building, with a brick roof. It was the largest building in Algade, having ten floors, each floor capable of fitting around a hundred players. On the tenth floor of the building, was where the meeting was held. Inside were the highest-ranked players of the large guilds, the leaders of the medium guilds, most of the members of the small guilds and the solo players. All the players were standing up, standing in front of a crescent shaped table. Most players had custom armour, unless they were a part of a guild. Naruto was near the front, observing the rest of the players. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants and black combat boots. He also had a gold chestplate, gauntlets, greaves and helmet. Behind his back was a Nodachi with a gold hilt. Finally, his signature black mask was in place. He turned, seeing Kirito a few feet away and nodded, getting one in return. He wore grey pants, black boots, a grey shirt and a bronze breastplate. Above those, he had a black coat with blue padding on the shoulders and a sword behind his back. He turned, observing the other guilds.

He could notice Klein and some members of Fuurinkazan, Klein's guid. He met Klein once when he and Kirito were grinding. Apparently, Kirito met Klein on the first day and taught him the basics. After that, Klein and Kirito became friends, though Kirito was always shy, due to something happening on the first day. Klein quickly befriended him, as Naruto figured that was his nature, even introducing him to his guild. They did a few quests together, sometimes grinding together. He could honestly say Klein was a trustworthy person and he could count on him to watch his back, along with Agil, Kirito and Asuna. Speaking of Asuna, he saw her to the side of the Knights of the Blood.

The Knights of the Blood was the strongest clearing guild in SAO. What they lacked in quantity, they made up in quality. All of their members were high-leveled, experienced players, some so good they could give even Kirito a challenge. They all wore white outfits with red crosses, except their leader, Heathcliff. He knew Heathcliff, leader of the Knights of the Blood. He was a tall, muscular man, with long brown hair slicked back, one long and thin bang framing his face and piercing brown eyes. He wore a blood-red suit of heavy armour, decorated by small white crosses. He was famous for his Unique Skill, a skill only few players can access by meeting some qualities, called **Holy Sword**. It allowed a player to freely switch between offense and defense without any limitations. He also wielded Liberator, a one handed sword and kite shield, which allowed him to use this Skill to it's fullest. Because of this, he was rumoured to be the strongest player of Sword Art Online, with Naruto on second place. Naruto had to admit, that while he didn't know the outcome of a duel between them, it would certainly be an enjoyable challenge.

Asuna was sitting next to Heathcliff, as she was the Vice-Commander of the guild. She had ditched her old uniform, instead wearing a uniform of the KoB, with a bronze breastplate. She also had a new rapier, called **Lambent Light**. It was a good rapier, apparently made by one of her friends. 'I know I told her if she ever found someone trustworthy, she should join their guild, but to join the strongest one and become as strong as Kirito, that was unexpected.' he thought. With a silent sigh, he turned to the next great guild, the Divine Dragon Alliance.

They were the largest and most active clearing guild after the Army left. If KoB had the quality, DDA had the quantity. All of their players wore heavy armour, decorated with blue clothing. They were a power-hungry guild, looking after rare items, wanting to lead raids and even getting the Last Attack Bonus. They had their own training grounds and were very secretive. All in all, it was a guild to be wary off in it's majority. Naruto's opinion was solidified when they once attacked him to prevent him from defeating a rare monster, so they could get the drop themselves. He paralyzed them, beat their bodies without killing them, then killed the monster in front of their eyes and left them there. Sure, he was an Orange player for a few days, but it was worth it.

His thought were interrupted as a few men entered, the members of the Scouting Party. All the player's in the room widened their eyes, as they looked beat and had starting gear. "What happened to you guys?" Kirito asked, as a member of the Knights of Blood approached the table and looked at everyone "We got the information of the Boss, but we had to fight and push it back. It is definitely the strongest boss we have ever faced." he said ominously, as everyone stayed silent, a feeling of dread starting to wash over them. "The Boss is called the **Six Armed Metallic Buddha**. As it's name implies, it is a statue of a six armed Buddha, made of Black Metal. It is located in a large, circular room, dimly lit by purple torches, red in colour. There are eight pillars holding the room, with the Boss at the end of it. It will rise from it's position, wielding six pitch black blades. It has five HP bars, just like the previous Grand Boss." he said, grand boss the term used for the bosses of the 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th and 100th floor, the last one also called Final Boss. "It's attack patterns aren't easy to predict. It is incredibly strong and fast, using at least two blades simultaneously. We lost 3 men from it's unwavering attacks, another two from a special skill after he lost some HP. He will strike his sword to the ground, releasing two waves of wind, striking us down. The wind causes a severe bleeding effect." he said, as the feelings of dread increased. "Is there any weak spot?" Naruto asked. The member frowned "It had two purple jewels, a large one on his chest and a small one on his forehead. We attacked them and it did damage him more than his body, but it didn't loose a lot of HP, like most weak spots." he replied, as many frowned. "How many men did you lose?" asked Heathcliff, with the man frowning "We lost those 5 men, another three sacrificing themselves to hold it off so we seven could escape." he finished, as silence fell over the group.

Asuna stepped forward "For this battle, we will need the best players of every guild. Not the best guilds, the best players. This includes Solo players as well. Everyone who is of a high level must come. We will need at least 60 players for this." she said, as everyone nodded "Who wants to take part in the Leader Vote?" said HeathCliff, as Asuna, Schmitt who was the DDA sub-leader and 4 others raised their hands, with Asuna winning in the vote that followed. "Alright." she said "You know how we work. Assuming we're at least 60, we will be at least 10 parties of six. We shall have 3 Tank Parties, 3 Short Range Assault Parties, 3 Long Range Assault parties and one Support Party, which will have 2 tanks, 2 short range players and two long range players. Depending on how many more people are willing to come that are of high enough level, we will either form complete parties, where we will add them to one category, or incomplete support parties, who will help through switching. Gather outside the boss room tomorrow by 11:59 am. At 12:00 pm, we shall march inside the room, defeat the boss and complete half of this cursed game!" she finished with a smirk, getting roars and cheers. Naruto clapped lightly, before he and Kirito left.

 _ **Floria**_

Naruto and Kirito were outside of Floria, the main settlement of the 47th Floor. Like the rest of the floor, Floria was a city completely covered in beautiful flowers. The two were on a small hill, completely covered in flowers. Kirito was sitting under a fully-bloomed Almond Tree, with Naruto sitting upon a branch. They both appeared to be sleeping, when they heard a cry of "What are you two doing?" Naruto opened one eye, Kirito opening both, looking at Asuna standing a few feet away, a hand on her hip and a frown on her face. "Oh, it's you." said Kirito, closing his eyes. "The other's are frantically working, to prepare themselves for tomorrow, buying potion, weapons, armor and even last minute grinding to get even one level. Yet you two are standing around and being lazy! Being solo player's doesn't-" she was about to retort but Kirito interrupted her "This is the nicest weather, in the nicest season in all of Aincrad and we're at the nicest spot. It would be a shame to ruin it by running around for preparations." he said. Asuna frowned even more "Don't you understand that every day spent here is a day lost in the real world?" she exclaimed as Kirito sighed, while she turned to Naruto "What about you Naruto? I didn't believe you would be like this!" she said. He sighed "Asuna, we're in the world of Aincrad. Look around you for a while." he said, as she did, the wind swaying her hair. "See, everything is so relaxing. The sun, the wind." he said, referring to Kirito who had fallen asleep again, before shifting into a meditation position on top of the branch, his hand into a one handed Ram seal of the Ninja Arts, his eyes closed and leaning his back on the tree. Asuna looked around the countryside, before she felt the sun's rays illuminating her, holding her hand to block the sun's rays, as it felt it's warmth and the calmness of the wind, all enhanced by the soft flute music of the game. She widened her eyes, looking at a sleeping Naruto in wonder, her hair moving from the wind.

Kirito woke up with a yawn, rubbing his eyes, before widening them and leaping back, noticing an asleep Asuna a few feet away. He turned, as some members of the DDA started laughing, seeing them so aloof. He turned to Asuna, then to Naruto "I can't believe he got her to sleep." he mumbled, before rising with a groan, approaching the tree. He looked up "Wake up Naruto!" he said, half yelling half whispering, as Naruto opened his eyes, looking down. "What is it?" he asked, only for Kirito to point at an asleep Asuna. Naruto raised an eyebrow, before jumping down. "How did you get her to sleep?" he asked, as he smiled lightly "I showed her the peace of the place." he said. He turned to him "What level have you reached as Kirito smiled "Level 45." he said. Naruto nodded "I see. Well, you may go. I will stay here he said." as Kirito nodded. They shook hands, before Kirito left. He looked at Asuna "I didn't expect her to listen though." he whispered with a smile, before shaking his head.

Naruto sat on the flower field a few feet in front of Asuna, observing the sun going down. He heard a sneeze, turning to see a slowly rising Asuna. She had a flower hanging from her head, while a bit of drool run down from her mouth. She looked around in a haze, before widening her eyes, a faint blush adorning her cheeks once Naruto smiled at her. "W-Wha?" she asked, as he grinned "Good morning. Slept well?" he asked, as she instantly rose and almost unsheathed her rapier, causing Naruto to raise his arms "Im unarmed!" he yelled. She clenched her teeth, her trembling hand letting go of the handle, as she muttered something. He tilted his head, as she spoke louder "One meal. Wherever you like!" she said, as all he could do was nod.

 _ **Mishe**_

Mishe was the main settlement of the 35th Floor of Aincrad. It was a beautiful, medieval town, with wide cobblestone roads and medium sized buildings. The city had an urban and mysterious feel to it, though it was by no means dangerous. Currently, Naruto and Asuna were in the best restaurant in this town, as many players whispered their names. Naruto thought of Asuna's nickname, the Flash. She was named that due to her speed, as she was one of the fastest players, her skill with the rapier, which when thrusted was almost invisible, earned her the nickname. Naruto on the other hand, was nicknamed the Black Ninja Swordsman. He was named like that for his attire, along with his skill in swordsmanship. Along with Kirito, who was named the Black Mercenary Swordsman, due to his black cloak, they were called the Black Swordsman Duo, as they were always teamed up together, their teamwork flawless. Together, it was rumoured not even Heathcliff could stand a chance against them, as only Bosses could. At the moment, they were sitting on a corner table, two plates with grilled meat and mashed potatoes, along with a glass of water each.

He looked up from his food when Asuna said "Thank you for today.". He rose an eyebrow as she elaborated "For watching over me." she said. He shook his head "No need to thank me for something so trivial." he said. She started rubbing her thumbs together "While you can't attack players in safe areas, so PKing is impossible, when asleep it is different." she said. Naruto nodded with a frown "Indeed. They take advantage of the Dueling system. It isn't unheard of someone duel requesting an asleep player, moving their finger to accept, then attack them to the death." he said. She nodded "That is why, I thank you." she said, with a small bow. He smiled "I am your friend. I don't need your gratitude for something like this." he said, as she nodded. They ate their food silently, before Asuna spoke.

"Naruto, what do you think will happen with the boss?" she asked. He frowned "It is difficult to say. This is the Boss of the 50th Floor. It will possibly be the strongest boss until we reach the 60th Floor. So, it is difficult for me to say. The fact we got so little info, as even the Weak Points don't work, makes it even harder. All I can say for sure, is that we're gonna be in one hell of a fight, where even the slightest mistake may cost our lives." he said, as she nodded with a frown "I thought so." she said. He held her hand, as she looked at him in surprise "No matter what happens, I will protect you. I promise." he said with a smile, as she blushed and smiled back "And I will watch your back. I promise." she said, as he grinned. They stayed in the restaurant for a while, before going their separate ways, after saying goodbye to each other.

Naruto went to his house in the 35th floor, a small building with two floors, three with the ground floor. The ground floor was a living room and the bathroom. The first floor was a dining room and the kitchen, while the third floor was a bedroom and a spare room, meant for battle preparations. Naruto was currently inside that room. He was wearing his outfit, without the armour however, his sword pressed on the floor in front of him. The room was dark, illuminated only by four candles, two to Naruto's sided, another two on top of a small table. The table had a yin-yang symbol on it. Naruto was currently meditating, taking in deep breaths 'Just like Grandpa Sarutobi always said.' he thought. This was an exercise to calm his nerves. He had a bad feeling for tomorrow. He looked up 'Whatever happens, keep Asuna safe.' he thought, before exiting the room, going to bed. It was gonna be a wild day tomorrow.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! For all those who thought I will do the Pking in Towns Arc when I added the starting scene, no I won't. I added something better, the fight with the 50th Floor Boss. Kirito will still get Elucidator don't worry. Now, I would like once again for you guys to tell me, what weapons do you want Naruto to dual wield? Those who told me don't have to say them again, I have taken them into consideration. And in case you got confused, the choices I wrote were suggestions. You can add your own preferences. For example, if one wanted a sword and a flail, he is free to say it. Anything as long as it exists on Sao. Also, tell me. Do you want Yui to have black hair, or yellow so she looks more like Naruto? I would appreciate it if you guys responded. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	6. Chapter 6:An Outcome Of Pain

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the sixth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the fight on the 50th Floor. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 6: An Outcome of Pain**

 _ **Boss Room**_

It was time. Time for half of the game to finally be cleared. All the preparations had been made. Each player stood outside the Boss room, armed to the teeth and ready for battle. They had gathered 75 players for this event, all of them the highest Level clearers of SAO. It was a massive Raid, as it was one of the first times where more than 60 people had gathered. Asuna's calculations on the Party's came true, while she gained an Extra Tank Party and an Extra Long Range Assault Party. Naruto, Kirito and Asuna formed a party of their own, being support and Command and were called Group X. Speaking of which, they were right in front of the door, waiting to go 11:59 am. They had four minutes left. Asuna smirked "This will be just like old times." she said, causing the two boys to smirk as well.

The last time they teamed up like this was at the Third Floor Boss battle. After that, Kirito left as a solo player, with Naruto joining him at the Fifth Floor. Asuna joined the KoB, while the two travelled on their own, grinding and completing missions. Kirito and Asuna mostly saw each other on meetings. Naruto, on the other hand, saw both of them at least once a week. He saw Kirito when they tag teamed to grind and Asuna during tasks. They had all progressed very far. Asuna had reached Level 47, Kirito Level 45 and Naruto Level 53. They each had gone very far. Naruto eventually gave up on curved blades, having gained the Katana skill and switched to Japanese Swords, while still keeping the Straight Sword Skill and Martial Arts. He had progressed the Light Metal Equipment, while also adding Battle Healing, Hiding, Searching and Parry, complimenting his grinding. The group were currently talking of their strategy, deciding to keep the same strategy as always of switching, unless it proved to be useless.

They were stopped when Asuna's alarm showed up, saying it was 11:59. She coughed loudly, everyone turning to look at her. "Alright everyone! It is time! After this battle, we will have shown all who feel too weak or too powerless to join us, that hope still exists! We will defeat this Buddha abomination and emerge victorious!" she said, as men started banging their blades on their shields and their spears on the ground. "You're all the best Clearers of SAO. You have all bled, fought and lost friends, so that the day can come when we go back to our world, when we avenge them! Fight! Let us defeat this boss and be halfway done. Halfway done… with Sword Art Online!" she said, as many cheered. Naruto clapped "Smooth." he said, getting a playful glare from Asuna, while Kirito opened the room. As they entered, Kirito spoke "Into the belly of the beast.", with Naruto responding "And out of the demon's ass." he said, as they made their way into the darkness.

As the entire group entered, Asuna spoke "Tanks, in front, Short Assault in the rears, Long Assault behind Tanks." she said, as they followed her command, albeit with difficulty through the darkness. Suddenly, the room lit up, as torches appeared on the pillars, illuminating the red brick room with a dim, purple light. Suddenly, a Buddha statue appeared. It was tall, standing at 15 feet. It was made of black metal, with purple lines glowing with energy, going all over his body and appearing to come from two purple jewels, a large one on his chest and a small one on his forehead. It had six arms, each holding a pitch-black longsword with grey edges. It approached them slowly, as Asuna raised her arm "On my mark… go!" she yelled lowering it, as the players roared and charged. The battle for the 50th floor had begun.

"Group A and B! Hold the line! Group J and K! Attack! Group E and F, go behind him and attack his legs! Group X, attack the jewels!" she said, as the players followed her commands. The tanks raised their shields, holding the line with difficulty, against the rapid attacks. Whenever it went close, the players would use spears to push it back, while the close range fighters attacked the legs. Kirito went under it and started to climb it using skills to attack his back, while Naruto rushed ahead. He jumped on one blade, before jumping high in the air and diving on the chest, swinging his Nodachi at the jewel, before starting to spin, hitting the sides of the boss like a buzzsaw as he descended into the ground. Kirito climbed his neck, jumped on his head, the jumped to the ground, while lowering his sword, striking from the jewel to the stomach, forming a thin line. The statue roared, releasing from his body a sonic wave that pushed everyone back. Naruto sent his palm to the ground, ascending into the air to gain his balance back, as he skidded to the ground. 'This is going bad.' he thought.

They had been fighting the boss for half an hour and it proved to be the hardest battle they fought so far. The power of the boss seemed unreal. With two direct hits to the chest or head, it could kill any player. It was strong enough to clear through a wall of Tanks when it used an attack that slammed all 6 blades to the ground simultaneously. And for a 15 feet tall Buddha made of Black Steel, it was incredibly fast as well, swinging the blades like they weighted nothing. The more blades he used, the higher the attacks became. They only depleted one HP bar, with the Buddha now using three blades at the same time instead of two. Naruto assumed by the time he would reach red, he would use all six blades at once. He didn't want to think about it, as they had lost already 6 people, 3 Tanks two Long Attackers and One Short Attacker. He didn't want to think about what would happen by then, not at all.

He turned to Asuna "Asuna! This isn't working well! We need to change tactics! They're too cramped in!" he yelled, as she nodded. She turned "Everyone! Scatter! Tank Parties split in groups of three and move around, blocking attacks! Attackers do the same, but attack him when you get the chance! Circle him, make him attack randomly, create openings!" he said, as they nodded, instantly switching the tactics.

This tactic proved far more successful in dealing damage. The Buddha had to keep spinning, using his blades to attack the circling players, creating many openings, giving Attackers the chance to cause lots of damage. Kirito and Asuna used the Switch tactic, attacking his back, while Naruto sneaked upon his chest, repeatedly striking his chest, as the Tanks used their Howl ability on full force to keep the Boss focused on them, as Naruto's attacks steadily and surely dropped his Health. "We got this!" yelled Asuna, seeing only the last bar remaining after 40 minutes "Hang on a while longer!" she said, as the players roared, attacking with more vigor. Naruto turned "Asuna, Kirito, get in front!" he said, as they nodded. They came, noticing the large scars that Naruto caused. He jumped forward, stabbing the boss's chin, as it roared, with Asuna and Kirito doing a barrage on his chest, while the players used their strongest attacks on his lower parts, as it helplessly stabbed his five blades at five players, causing them to die. Naruto saw it and growled, twisting the blade, before removing the entire chin, as a humongous rοar sent them all flying, just before Asuna pierced his chest, causing his health to go red. His blades started glowing, along with his eyes, as purple aura smoke came from his purple lines. He rushed at Asuna, swinging his blade, as she blocked it, only to be in vein as she was sent flying, crashing into a wall.

"ASUNA!" yelled Naruto, as he rushed at her side, Kirito following. He held her in his arms, as she groaned in pain, her health almost gone. He widened his eyes, before giving her his last potion, tears falling from his eyes. Kirito appeared at his side, as he started clenching his teeth. "Kirito guard her, tell everyone to fall back." he said, his voice full of malice. Kirito gave her a potion, turning to him "Naru-" " **NOW**!" he yelled, causing Kirito to gulp and nod. He turned "Everyone! Fall back! Get away from the boss!" he yelled, as they nodded and fell back, with Naruto firing a throwing pick at the statue, turning the hate to him. He slowly rose, gripping his sword tightly, as his eyes became icy-blue, Killing intent rising from his body. He roared, charging the boss on his own, ignoring Kirito's cries.

He swiftly approached the boss, as it stabbed it's blades at his position, Naruto leaping into the air, twisting his body to dodge two more blades, before kicking the 5th blade, blocking the final with his Nodachi, as he used the power behind the kick to come before the statue's face. With a roar, he stabbed the jewel, jumping directly upon the head. With a roar, he started swinging his sword furiously at the top of the Buddha's head. Each swing, each thrust, each followed the picture of an almost dead Asuna. 'Faster. Faster!' he though, increasing the speed and carving deep enough to hit the jewel. 'Faster! For Asuna!' he thought, roaring and stabbing the jewel from inside the head, as cracks appeared, before an explosion of purple light destroyed the entire head, as Naruto jumped to the floor. In mid-air, however, he noticed the boss had a single HP bar left, as it's blades dropped to the ground and it punched Naruto, sending him flying. "Naruto!" yelled Kirito, catching him. Agil and Klein started using potions on him, as Kirito narrowed his eyes, rushing at the boss. With a roar, he stabbed the jewel on his chest using **Vertical Square,** splitting the last jewel in four parts, before the Buddha roared one final time, disappearing in green particles.

Naruto groaned, rising slowly. He saw everyone tending to wounded. 'What happened?' he thought. 'I was fighting the boss and... Asuna!' his eyes widened. He rose from the ground, looking around frantically. He saw her to the side, Kirito next to her. He rushed at her and hugged her, as she looked surprised. She could hear him sobbing and smiling, she held his head "I am here." she whispered. "I thought I lost you. I am sorry. I wanted to protect you." he said, crying. Tears started falling down her eyes as well "Don't cry Naruto-kun. Please don't cry." she said, sending a look to Kirito. Kirito nodded and gently helped her and Naruto stand "Naruto, I realise your pain, but we need to deal with the raid now." he said, as he nodded, letting go and wiping his tears. They turned, seeing the players in the room. They had lost 22 players, one of their biggest losses yet. Players all around them cried for the loss of their brothers. 3 KoB members, 5 DDA, 2 Solo Players and 12 members from random guilds died. Luckily, none of the Fuurinkazan members died, or people they knew personally.

Naruto turned to Kirito, who was checking an item. He looked over it and his eyes widened "Elucidator… you got the Last Hit didn't you?" he asked as he nodded. "This blade is incredible, but my STR isn't enough to wield it." he said, getting a nod. Naruto checked it's stats "700 Attack, 1350 Durability, 750 Weight, 28+ Agility and 45+ Strength. This sword is probably one of the five best blades you can get in SAO from Monster or Player." he muttered. Kirito smirked "Perfect for the battles to come." he said, Naruto nodding in return. He looked at his own Nodachi. He sighed putting it back and taking out a simple Wakizashi, holding it around his waist.

They turned as Asuna stood in the center of the room. With a sigh she spoke "We won. But the price was heavy. You have three days to weep your fallen ones. After that, we need to start clearing the floor. I shall activate the Teleportation Crystals." she said, going up the stairs to the 51st Floor. Naruto frowned, looking at Asuna's back. He went back to the 50th Floor without a word, his eyes hidden behind his bangs, as Kirito looked at him. "What's wrong?" asked Agil, appearing next to Kirito along with Klein. "Asuna almost died and Naruto snapped." he said, as Klein looked sad "Leave him for a while. If you feel something is wrong, search for him." he said, getting a nod.

 _ **51st Floor**_

Naruto was currently observing the 51st Floor. It was a floor with 4 different environments. The north was covered in ice, the south was a desert. The east was filled with tall forests full of rain, while the west was filled with grass plains, the sun shining. He was currently on the east part, fighting monsters. He had returned to his home, grabbing his stuff. He also left a note to Kirito's house, along with a recording device. He was currently battling them with a Katana, his Wakizashi broken. He was battling monster like a man possessed. He didn't care that they had red or purple cursors, his only thoughts were to kill. He was surrounded by what looked to be reptilian, bipedal beings, with long necks. They were green, with large claws and fangs. A unique characteristic was their tails who were spear tips dipped in poison and two curved blades at their elbows. They roared, charging at him. He swung his sword quickly, decapitating one, before dashing to the right, dodging a downward swing. He stopped, turned and stabbed another in the stomach, before twisting the blade, taking out from it's side and swinging it while twisting his body, slicing diagonally another's chest. He turned, leaping back and dodging a swing, before dashing forward, piercing the being's chest. He turned, taking out the blade, blocking three claws, before doing a quick spin, outstretching his blade and killing 5 at once. He stopped, only to growl as they slashed his back. He turned, killing one, only for two to slash him diagonally from behind. He grabbed one and sent him at two more, before skewering all three at onces. He growled, as they stabbed with their claws his calf, as a picture of a fallen Asuna appeared for a second. He growled, taking the blade off the three, while lifting the being with his arm. He stabbed it's neck, before decapitating it and cutting the neck off another, only to get a blade at his shoulder. He turned his blade, stabbing a beast behind him, before turning to his right.

He looked at three more, only those had red skin. They roared, as they disappeared and appeared behind him, as three slice marks appeared on his chest, his health dropping to yellow. He growled, looking at three, as they rushed on him. He disappeared, stabbing one, only for the other two to slice his ribs. He roared, before cutting one in four parts, only for the last to cut off his arm. With a roar, he threw his blade right at its head, killing it. Naruto fell to the ground, taking an HP potion and drinking it, his health going to yellow. He panted, as he saw the Katana sporting cracks, it's durability red. He slowly walked to the entrance of the forest, as he saw two large bears, their furs red blocking the entrance. He disappeared, slicing one of the bears in half, only to get a punch that sent him crashing into a tree by another bear, getting his health back to red. He rose slowly, before roaring and dashing to the bear, with a **Sonic Leap** , breaking the Katana at it's head, effectively killing it. He threw the disappearing handle to the side, panting. He rose, drinking a potion.

He looked at the forest, as lightning appeared on the sky. He looked at his hands, as images of Asuna kept appearing on his mind. He took out the Nodachi he used against the Buddha, looking at the cracked blade. He looked up on the sky, muttering "I am sorry." before slamming the sword at his open palm, breaking it. He looked at the open wound, which was slowly closing due to his Battle Healing. He closed his fist tightly, closing his eyes, making a vow to himself. Slowly, he opened his eyes and entered the forest. Unknown to him, his eyes flashed red as the lightning tore the sky.

 _ **KoB HQ**_

The Headquarters of the Knights of Blood were located on the countryside of the 39th Floor. It was a small house, surrounded by a fence. It contained the bunkers, the armory and the offices of the Leaders. Outside, you could see Kirito running, his eyes wide and his breathing ragged. They let him through, as High Level Clearers were allowed to enter. He quickly made his way into the top floor, approaching Asuna's office. He breached in, Asuna looking at him with a raised eyebrow, as she was completing some paperwork. "Asuna! Naruto's gone!" he yelled. She widened her eyes, rising from her seat "How?" she asked. He gave her a letter, as she started reading it.

' _Dear Asuna,_

 _By the time you will read this, I will be gone. I have left everything. The battle, the Clearing, Kirito, my friends, but mostly importantly, you. For that, I am most sorry. I am sorry, I couldn't protect you. You almost died and I did nothing to prevent it. People claim I and Kirito got the best reflexes, yet I couldn't do anything to protect you. I know what you're gonna say, that you couldn't do anything, but that only makes it worse. I can't stand the thought of you dying and me being unable to do anything. I must fix that. I will be gone for quite a while. I need to find inner peace, as I can't even think straight right now. I am sorry. Sorry I won't be there with you. Sorry I can't show you how much I love you. I love you Asuna, with all my heart, my mind and my soul. I love you more than life itself. I want to always be with you. Yet, I don't want to be by your side, without being able to protect you. I know you would think this is selfish thinking or that I am perfectly capable to protect you but I know better. Until I am sure I can stand next to you without fear, to spend my days with you in peace, I won't appear. If you hate me, I will understand. If you love someone else, I will support your choice. Just so you know, I am sorry. I will always love you._

 _Naruto'_

The letter, filled with tears, old and new, dropped from Asuna's trembling hands. Kirito approached her and held her, as she cried on his chest. "Baka! Naruto-baka!" she cried "Why? Why leave me? Why? WHY!" she yelled, as Kirito patted her head, his eyes also sad. "Don't you care about my feelings? Don't you care about how much I love you? Come back to me! I need you!" she said, crying in Kirito's arms and chest. She kept going for minutes, crying and yelling his name.

After a while, Kirito rose her to her feet "I won't say I know how you feel, but he loved you. I am sure of that. If he left, he had no choice. He would never leave you easily. I know he wouldn't." he said, as she looked at him, her eyes red from tears. "I know Naruto. He will always love you. He will return. I am sure. And he will never stop watching over us." he said, as she nodded, still crying.

 _ **Algade**_

Kirito sighed, sitting in front of a table in his home in Algade. Fifteen minutes had passed since he left Asuna, as she needed some time alone. In front of him laid a teal crystal, a Message Record Crystal. He found it along with the letter, but he told Asuna nothing of the message. He played it one more time, as it glowed a light-green colour.

" _Hey Kirito, how are you? What am I saying, if you read that letter you won't be alright. Not one bit. Now, to business. First, don't tell anything to Asuna about this message, show her the letter only. Now, regarding what happened. I left the frontlines. I will disappear in the world of Sword Art Online. You will hear of me, but not like you think. And when you do hear of me, don't say anything to Asuna. Lie if you must. I don't want her to get a lead and start searching for me. Don't worry my friend. I will return one day. And I will help you beat this game. In the meantime, become strong. You're my partner and my rival. But most of all, you're my friend. Tell Asuna how much I love her and protect her. Until we meet again.'_

The crystal stopped glowing, as the message ended. Kirito sighed, hearing the message for the third time. He looked outside the window, on the night sky. 'Naruto, I don't know what you're thinking. I never truly did. But I know you won't make the wrong decision. I just hope you come soon, for Asuna needs you.' he thought.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I don't know if you expected it, the idea just appeared in my mind. Naruto will become truly Uber-Godlike from the next Chapters. I promise you that. As for the Dual Wielding, it has been decided, but I won't say what it is. I have another favour to ask you. What race do you want Naruto to be? The natural would be for him to become a Sylph, but if you guys like something else better, I see no reason for him not to use it. Cait Sith are an exception. Now, if you have any questions regarding this Chapter, feel free to make them known. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Shadow Blade

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the seventh chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the battle on the 74th Floor. Just so you don't get confused, Kirito revealed his dual wielding on the 73rd floor instead of the 74th. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 7: The Shadow Blade**

 _ **74th Floor**_

'2 years have passed since 10.000 players were trapped in Sword Art Online, a game of death. Now, around seven thousand remain. I wonder how Kayaba Akihiko feels, watching us from the shadows. What does he feel about this world? About the fact that he killed three thousand humans?' thought Kirito, walking through the Labyrinth of the 74th Floor. He had changed his attire, wearing a pitch-black coat made of dragon leather, with gray lining going down the sleeves. Underneath it, was a black V-neck shirt, black pants held by a belt with silver buckle and black boots with metal plates. Behind him was the Elucidator, the sword he gained at the battle of the 50th floor, which looked exactly like the Boss's blades and Dark Repulser, a sword made by Lisbeth using a rare metal. It was a one handed longsword, made of an aqua-coloured metal. The grip was straight, with a darker colour. It had a crossguard that looked like two joined daggers, with a large gem in the middle. It was almost as good as the Elucidator, their statistical difference slim. He could wield two blades, thanks to the Unique Skill he gained, called Dual Wielding. He gained it after the battle of the 53rd Floor. But he only revealed it to the battle of the 73rd Floor.

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Keep attacking!" yelled Asuna, as they were fighting the boss. 30 players, composed of Asuna, Kirito, Agil, Klein and his guild, along with 10 players of the DDA and the Kob, were battling inside the room. The Boss before them was a large knight, standing at 7 feet, wearing blood-red armour, holding an enormous two handed sword. It was a tough boss due to it's durability if anything, as it was slow and it's attacks could be dodged easily. They were battling for twenty minutes and so far they were doing well. The raid group was composed of the most powerful of the Clearers, excluding a few solo players. Agil and Klein roared, driving their weapons in the knight's stomach, getting it's health to red. However, they weren't expecting his eyes to glow and with otherworldly speed, to punch them both and send them flying. 2 DDA soldiers charged at him, only to appear behind them and cut them in half. Kirito widened his eyes 'His speed, is too much. I have to use it.' he thought. "Everyone hold him for ten seconds!" he yelled, getting nods. The four remaining members of the DDA-only party, rushed at the boss, holding it, but dying as a result. Kirito growled "Step back everyone!" he said, rushing and blocking the knight's sword with the Elucidator. However, to the shock of everyone, a blue blade appeared from behind him, as he strook the knight's helmet, causing it to stumble back. The knight recovered and attempted to cut Kirito in half, only for him to block the blade and push it back. He looked at the boss "_ _ **Starburst Stream**_ _!" he said, as he struck the boss repeatedly with his blades, at high speeds, finishing by forming a V- strike on his chest, going from stomach to shoulders. The boss roared, before bursting into green particles._

 _ **Flashback End**_

His trip down to memory lane was interrupted, when he heard a sound. He noticed that he had arrived to the forest of the 74th floor. Turning, he narrowed his eyes at a part of white fur sticking out of a tree. He took out two Throwing Picks and threw one, causing a white rabbit with red eyes to come out, only to die from the second.

 _ **Algade**_

"A R-Ragout R-Rabbit? The rare S-Class Item?" Agil asked with wide eyes as Kirito nodded. They were in Agil's shop in Algade, where Kirito went to sell the item. "You're not in any need of money are you? Why do you want to sell it?" he asked. Kirito sighed "It's not like I can cook it. Either of us would burn it to a crisp." he said, getting another sigh from Agil. However, he felt a pat of his back and a cry of "Kirito-kun.". Turning, he saw Asuna and a member of the KoB. He had long black hair tied in a ponytail, black eyes and wrinkles on his face that made him look old. He was wearing a regular KoB uniform. Ignoring him, he grabbed Asuna's hands "Chef captured." getting a raised eyebrow from Asuna and a frown from Kuradeel.

Letting go, he smiled "Fancy seeing you here Asuna. I never would have thought you would visit this dump." he said, getting a glare from Agil. She huffed "I wanted to see if you were alive. The next raid is approaching." she said, as he raised an eyebrow "I am on your friends list aren't I?" he asked. "Well, I know for sure now. Anyway, you said something regarding a cook?" she asked. He nodded "What's your Cooking Skill Level?" he asked as she smirked "Maxed out." she replied, getting a wide-eyed look from Agil and Kirito.

"In that case." said Kirito, showing her the meat. She widened her eyes "I-Is that the rare Ragout Rabbit?" she asked as he smirked. "If you cook it, I will let you have a bite." he said, only to gulp as she grabbed him. "I-want-half." she spelled out, getting a nod from Kirito who was sweating. He turned to Agil "Well, it's no longer for sale." he said, leaving the store and ignoring the cries of Agil regarding friendship and sharing.

"So, where will we cook it?" Asuna asked, as he begun to sweat. "You don't have the utensils in your place do you?" she asked, as he lowered his head in embarrassment. "Well, in that case and out of respect for the product, I won't mind inviting you to my place." she said, as she then turned to Kuradeel "You're dismissed. Thank you." she said. He narrowed his eyes "I don't approve of you inviting such a suspicious man to your house Asuna-sama." Kuradeel said. Kirito narrowed his slightly at him "Background aside, his skills are certain. He is at least 10 levels higher than you, Kuradeel." Asuna said. Kuradeel narrowed his eyes "You mean to tell me I am inferior to him? Wait, he is the beater?" he asked, as Asuna narrowed her eyes. "That's right." Kirito said.

Kuradeel approached her, forming a scene "Asuna-sama! Guys like this only care about themselves! You will only get into trouble by being with-" he was stopped, fear overlapping his senses, as in a quick motion, Asuna had the tip of her rapier at his throat "So, the man I love the most in my life, who cared for me more than anyone else, is trouble? You mean to tell me the East Swordsman, whose power is second only to our leader is trouble, Kuradeel?" she growled with narrowed eyes. Kirito sighed. After Naruto's disappearance, whoever talked bad about beaters was an enemy in Asuna's eyes. "You're dismissed. That's an order from your Vice-Commander." she said coldly, sheathing her blade. Kuradeel bowed, sweat dripping from his forehead, as Asuna dragged Kirito away.

 _ **Selmburg**_

Kirito and Asuna were currently at the latter's house, located in Selmburg, the main settlement of the 61t Floor. It was a spacious house, with beautiful decorations for the interior. According to Asuna, it costed around 4 mega Cor, which was pretty expensive. They were sitting on the dining room, drinking tea, after enjoying a beautiful stew made from the Ragout Rabbit meat.

"Ahhh. I never tasted an S-class ingredient. I am happy I survived this long." said Asuna with a content sigh, getting a nod from Kirito. "You know, I keep thinking far less of the real world. Even our numbers have dropped in half" she said, causing Kirito to nod. "Me too. And I believe players have become used to it. That's why." he said. She nodded "Indeed. But I still want to go back. I still have a lot to do there." she replied. He nodded and took a sip from his tea "Yes. And it would be a waste to give up. All the sacrifices the worker class players did for us would be meaningless." he said. She raised her arm "Hold on. Usually a wedding proposal comes after this." she said, causing Kirito to choke on his tea. She laughed "You're not around girls a lot huh?" she smirked. Kirito huffed "It doesn't matter. I am a Solo Player. Besides, Naruto would kill me if I did that." he said. Asuna smiled sadly, looking at the ground.

He sighed "It's been almost a year right?" he asked, as she nodded, frowning. She looked up to him "You think something-" she was about to say but Kirito shook his head. "No. He might have removed us from his friend list, but he is still alive. He loves you too much to die, you know that right?" he said. She nodded, wiping a few tears that started to form "I know. I love him as well." she said. She then thought of something "Party with me. For old times sake." she said. He coughed "B-but your guild?" he asked. "They won't hold me. And I will ditch my escort." she said "And if you think I'm weak, I will plunge my fork in your head." she said with a smirk. He shook his head, sweat forming on his face. She smirked victoriously, before sending a party requests. He accepted it 'For old time's sake.'.

 _ **Labyrinth**_

Kirito and Asuna were in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth had obsidian walls and numerous pathways of different colours. Sometimes, you could see pale white trees. They had mapped out the Labyrinth, going so far as the Boss Room. They peeked inside, seeing the Boss. It was a demonic-looking monster, with blue skin and bluish-white eyes. It had a goat's head, with thick yellow horns, twisting backwards. It also had a purple cobra as a tail and wielded an enormous Zanbato, along with what appeared to be a mace with a goat head on the top. It had four HP bars and it appeared to be the first Demon type monster they encountered. It stood in a circular room, made of blue stone, with large torches lit with blue flames. They figured they would need a strong vanguard for it.

As they left the Room and started to eat lunch, they encountered Klein and his guild, the Fuurinkazan. After greeting each other, 13 soldiers entered. They were members of The Army, the largest guild who protected the 1st Floor. Their leader, a Colonel named Kobatz, greeted them and demanded their map data. After Kirito gave it to him, they went away, ignoring Kirito's warnings regarding the Boss. Kirito, Asuna, Klein and his guild then tried to get to the Boss Room, clearing through players, when to their surprise, they found they attempted to fight the boss. Even more, the Teleportation Crystals weren't working. They saw Kobatz falling in front of them, muttering "Impossible." before dying.

The beast raised it's Zanbato, attempting to kill a soldier, before Asuna charged in with her rapier drawn, screaming "NO!". She jumped on the Boss's back, striking it 10 times simultaneously. The boss turned, swinging the sword, as she barely blocked it, only to be sent back by his mace. Kirito charged, unsheathing both blades " **Starburst Stream**!" he said, hitting the boss with all his might, causing enough damage to take out one HP bar. However, it wasn't enough, as the boss used his mace on his stomach. Kirito twisted his blades, before attempting it again, this time much faster, only for the boss to send him flying. Kirito rose in pain, seeing his health going to yellow. Klein charged the boss, only to be sent back easily, as Asuna used **Star Splash** on him, effectively removing the second HP bar. However, she got hit in the chin by his mace. She fell to the ground, as the boss released a purple light from his mouth, surrounding the entire room. When it left, they widened their eyes, as they were paralyzed. Asuna looked up, seeing the Demon raising his sword, aiming at her. Kirito and Klein struggled to stand, as Kirito screamed "ASUNA!". The sword lowered his sword, as the last thoughts of Asuna were 'I'm sorry Naruto-kun.' A clang of steel meeting steel echoed throughout the room. Asuna looked up, only to widen her eyes "Shadow Blade…" she whispered, as everyone looked on with widened eyes.

The Shadow Blade. A player who gained fame around the 61st Floor. No one knew his true name or his username. That, or no one ever said it. He was only called the Shadow Blade due to his dark clothing and because he used a Tachi black as night. She looked at him. He was tall and muscular. He wore pitch-black, black steel-toed combat boots, with black pants that had grey lines to the side. Above that, he wore a long-sleeved skin-tight shirt, with black fingerless gloves with black steel plates above. He also had a chestplate made of pitch-black steel with shoulder pads, along with vambraces. Finally, his entire face was covered by a black cloth, with his eyes hidden behind a black visor. Behind his back, was an empty sheath. His arm was raised, holding the tachi. It was made of black steel, with an oval guard. The handle was wrapped in black cloth. He looked at Asuna "Sorry I'm late." he said. She widened her eyes, she knew that voice. He turned to the boss, before pushing the blade back, before vanishing.

He stabbed the boss directly in the center of it's chest. The boss roared, attempting to hit him with his mace, only for him to disappear. He reappeared above the boss, cutting deeply into one shoulder, before reappearing and cutting the Demon's sides. The boss roared, swinging the Zanbato, only for the player to jump over it, before slicing the Demon's feet. He rushed at the boss, before he disappeared and appeared behind the boss, his blade unsheathed. He sheathed it, as fifty slice wounds appeared all over his body, causing it to roar in pain, as it lost one HP bar, along with 30% of his last bar. Naruto stayed still for a few seconds, before disappearing seconds before the mace hit his position. He appeared above the boss, on top of the ceiling. He pushed himself forward, diving on the Demon's head. He unsheathed his sword in mid-air, cutting off one of the horns, as the Boss roared, his eyes going red, along with his HP. He crouched, as Naruto rushed at him with a sheathed sword. However, to his surprise the snake appeared from behind and spat out acid on his face. He felt his mask sizzle, taking it off. Everyone, except the Army, widened their eyes, as short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes appeared. Shadow Blade roared, unsheathing his sword, cutting the demon in half. Green particles erupted everywhere, as he sheathed his blade.

Asuna looked in shock, standing up "Naruto-kun…" she whispered.

Naruto sighed, turning, locking eyes with her. He smiled "Hello Asuna-chan, it's been a while." he said. She rushed at him and hugged him, crying "Naruto-kun." she cried. He hugged her back, as tears fell from his eyes "I missed you." he whispered. She looked at him, as he looked back, He saw the kindness, the love, the warmth and the sorrow, all swirling in a whirlpool of emotions in his eyes. She smiled, before to everyone's surprise, kissed him on the lips. He widened his eyes, before returning it, holding her even tighter. They kept going for a few seconds, before releasing. He smiled "I promise you I would return when I could protect you. I keep my promises." he said. She smiled "I know. And I love you for it." she said. Before they could continue, they heard two coughs.

Turning, they saw Kirito and Klein. Naruto smiled, letting go of Asuna, before walking towards Kirito. Kirito smiled "I had a feeling it was you when I first heard of Shadow Blade." he said. Naruto smirked, hugging him, as Kirito returned the hug "Welcome back." he said. Naruto nodded "It's good to be back. Thank you for protecting Asuna." he said. He turned to Klein with a smirk "How are you pal?" he asked, raising his fist. Klein fist-bumped him "Good! I missed the heart-warming one!" his grin turned into a frown "Why did you leave me with the gloomy one?" he whine, as everyone laughed, while Kirito glared at him.

Asuna then punched Naruto's arm "Where were you?" she demanded with a pout. "Training." was his cheeky reply. "Training indeed! You took down the Boss like it was nothing! What is your Level? Wait, I know! You're Level 120 or so right?" Klein asked. He shook his head "Wrong." he said, showing his level to everyone "I am Level 289." he said, getting wide-eyed looks from everyone. "L-Level 289?! How did you get so high! I am only Level 96!" Kirito shouted. Naruto scratched his head "Well, first I challenged every Secret Dungeon Boss repeatedly. Once I gained enough Levels, I started Soloing Floor Bosses. Solo battling one and beating it gives you enough XP for three levels, while a Dungeon Boss can give enough XP for two Levels. I used to complete one floor every week, before repeating Dungeon Fights for another week. I reached Floor 90, even defeating it's boss. After that, I stayed in the Floor 90 mostly, defeating the Field, Dungeon and Floor Boss repeatedly, to increase my skills. Any Skill I have, it is maxed out." he grinned. Kirito crossed his shoulders "You soloing all the Bosses was the most stupid thing I have ever heard." he said. Naruto smiled "It was a sacrifice for a girl. A girl worth fighting for." he said, turning to Asuna, who blushed.

Klein sighed "Ah young love." he said, making his way to the group. "We shall activate the crystals. Kirito, wanna come?" he asked, getting a nod. As they walked away, Kirito smiled at them "Take care!" he said, before leaving. Naruto smiled, turning to Asuna, who had her arms crossed "You still owe explanations." she said. He smiled "Want me to come to your house and talk?" he asked, as she nodded.

 _ **Selmburg**_

Naruto and Asuna were sitting at the dining table, drinking tea after some grilled meat. Naruto was wearing a black muscle shirt, with black track pants and black boots, while Asuna wore a blue skirt, a green shirt and brown ankle boots. She looked at him "What was that sword you used? The armour too, I have never seen anything like it." she asked. "The Boss of the Floor 90 is a Giant Dwarf statue made of Black Metal. Ironic, I know. Anyway, it is a giant dwarf who uses his bare fists. It is incredibly strong, tough and despite it's weight, it is pretty fast. When killed, it drops one of many items. It drops armour for everyone made from the same black metal as him. And depending on your Weapon Skill, you get a chance to get a weapon for your skill as well. Mine is **Juuchi Yosamu** , the most powerful Tachi in the game." he said, as she widened her eyes. "Amazing." she said, getting a chuckle from Naruto. She looked down "What will happen now Naruto-kun?" she asked. He looked at her intently "Well, I was thinking to stay with you tonight, if you would like that." he said, as she widened her eyes, then smiled "Indeed. I would like that." she said.

Naruto looked at Asuna's sleeping form with a smile, love filling his eyes. She was sleeping under the covers, her face peaceful. He removed her hair from her face, as she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I am sorry. I woke you up didn't I?" he asked, as she shook her head "It is fine. I had the same dream as always." she said. "About the chance of all this being a dream?" he asked as she nodded. "Yes, I don't want it to be a dream. These two years are precious to me. I want to return, but I want this to be real." she said, as he nodded. She rose, covering her form with the sheets "Naruto-kun? Can we stay away from the frontlines for a while? I feel like something bad will happen if we return. Maybe I am just tired." she said. He nodded, looking outside "I am tired too." he said. He stopped for a few seconds, then begun speaking, turning to her as he rose from the bed "There is a lake on the 22nd floor, surrounded by a forest. I have a house there. Let's move there together and-" he said, kneeling in front of the bed "Let's get married." he said, as she widened her eyes. Tears coursed down her cheeks, as she nodded "Yes!".

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I hope you did. So, Naruto returned, took down a more powerful Gleam eyes, you can tell it from the fact I changed it's attacks, added a weapon and because it held off a Dual Wielding Kirito, got together with Asuna and proposed to her. Pretty good progress if I say so myself. Smooth Naruto. Anyways, I hope you understand how OP I made Naruto, as he is 200 Levels above players. If Kirito versus Titan's Hand was unfair, what is this supposed to be? Now, for those who ask, I got the idea for Juuchi Yosamu from someone who reviewed (Won't say names.). That person suggested I used the Honjo Masamune. However, when I thought of it, I considered the Juuchi Yosamu a better choice as it is a black blade and fitted better with the title. Still, thumbs up pal. Your idea was cool. But for the other people who have suggested different weapons, I have kept them in mind and I will find a way or two to use them in this story. Now, next Chapter will feature everyone's beloved Yui and prepare for the fight with the 75th Boss. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	8. Chapter 8:A daughter

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the eighth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features Yui! Enough said. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 8: A daughter**

 _ **22nd Floor**_

The 22nd Floor was a beautiful floor. Filled with lakes and lush forests, it was a peaceful area, with few and weak monsters. In the southwest edge of the Floor, was a beautiful round cabin made of logs. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and from the top floor, you could see a beautiful lake. Asuna, wearing a brown skirt, brown boots and a white shirt, was currently on the balcony, looking outside with a smile. Naruto was next to her, holding her arm. He wore a black T-Shirt, black pants and grey boots. You could see the two gold rings in their fingers.

"It is beautiful." she said. Naruto chuckled "Don't lean too much Asuna-chan. You may fall off." he said. "I am glad Heathcliff allowed me to leave for a time period, despite the reckless bet you made." she said, as he nodded. After the night where they slept together, they went to the Knights of Blood and asked Heathcliff permission to leave for a while. Heathcliff was hesitant, but Naruto made a bet. If he could defeat the next boss all by himself, Heathcliff would accept it. Otherwise, Naruto would join the Knights of Blood. Heathcliff didn't want to pass the possibility of The Shadow Blade joining them, so he accepted.

Asuna raised an eyebrow at Naruto's serious face "What's wrong Naruto-kun?". "Asuna-chan, you don't think our feelings only exist in the virtual world, do you?" he pouted "Of course not silly. My feelings are real, game or no game." she said. Turning, she placed her hands on his shoulders "If I learned anything here, is to endure and preserve until the end. And you taught me that. If we return to the real world, I will find you and fall in love with you once again." she smiled. He smiled in return, wrapping her hands around her waist, as they kissed.

 _ **Three Days Later**_

Asuna yawned, waking up slightly. She rose from her bed, wearing a pink nightgown and looked at an asleep Naruto, who wore a black muscle shirt and black shorts. She giggled, seeing his blade right next to him. She went near him and hugged him "I love you Naruto-kun. Let us stay together forever." she said. He opened his eyes "Asuna-chan?" he asked, as she gasped and let go quickly. He rose slightly, smiling "I feel the same." he said, kissing her in her surprised state. She giggled after the kiss as he rose "So, what do you want to do today?" she asked. He looked at the photos they took then grinned "I got an idea. Dress up." he said.

They walked, fully dressed, down a wood-paved road, holding each other's arms, a smile on their faces. "So, where are we headed?" she asked. "It's a surprise." he said mysteriously. "Ehm, Naruto-kun? Could you carry me on your shoulders? I want to see things from a different height and with your strength it should be a piece of cake right?" she asked. He laughed "For you, anything." he said, kneeling. She raised her skirt slightly, only to gasp. She turned to him "If you turn around I will slap you, got it?" she said with a blush. He nodded "Yes Milady." he said, as she got on his shoulders. He rose, smirking as he heard her excited squeal upon seeing the lake. "Off we go!" he said, as she kept giggling.

They walked along the pass, stopping so that Asuna could grab a berry branch, gasping as a bee left it. She laughed "That surprised me!" she said, as he laughed as well. Turning, they saw fishermen on the shore, fishing, some of them waving at them. They waved back, as Naruto smirked "Hold on!" he said, as he run with Asuna on his back, as she laughed in happiness.

He slowed down, walking to a part of the forest far from the lake. "Why are we here Naruto-kun?" she asked. He stopped "To see ghosts." he said with a smirk. "G-Ghosts? You refer to astral type monsters?" she asked. "No. Actual ghosts. Souls that haven't passed on." he said, narrating the story of the woodworker, as she started trembling. Spotting something, she looked to the right with her tracking Skill, only to gasp. She saw a small girl walking, only wearing a pure white dress. She had long brown hair and crystal blue eyes. She screamed, getting off Naruto and hiding behind him. "What is it Asuna-chan?" he asked, as she pointed with a shaky finger at the woods. He raised an eyebrow, only to gasp as said girl fell to the ground. He rushed at her, picking her up, Asuna following him " A player?" she asked. He nodded "Yes. But the wierd is I can't see a cursor. A bug probably." he said, raising her bridal style, as Asuna approached and touched her face in sadness "Why is a small girl like her in SAO?" she asked. He sighed "I don't know. But let's take her back. We can find answers when she wakes up." he said, as she nodded.

They returned to the houses by evening, placing her on the spare bed next to their own, as they sat across her. "One thing is for sure. She isn't an NPC, as we brought her home." he said, Asuna nodding "And she can't be a quest trigger. The quest window is not updated." he finished. "You think she has a guardian? Someone watching her?" she asked, leaning on his shoulder. "Possibly. We will find out when she wakes up." he said, as they prepared to go to bed.

It was midnight when Asuna woke up, nudging Naruto, but he was unmoving like a rock. She frowned, before leaving their bed and going to the little girls. She touched her cheek 'What if she was alone this entire time?' she thought, going under the covers. She pressed her head above the girl's, whispering sweet dreams. Unknown to her, the girl smiled hin her sleep.

In the next morning, Asuna woke up with a yawn. She opened her eyes, only to come a across a pair of blue eyes that didn't belong to Naruto. Gasping, she rose "Naruto-kun! Get here now!" she said, as Naruto instantly woke up, jumping over to her "What's-" he stopped, noticing the little girl. "Thank goodness you woke up. Do you remember anything?" asked Asuna, as the girl looked around, before shaking her head. "I see, how about your name?" asked Naruto. She blinked "Name… my name… Yu-i? Yui.. that's my name." she said, in a sweet voice. Asuna smiled "Yui-chan huh? A pretty name. I am Asuna and this is Naruto." she said, as Naruto smiled. Yui blinked "Auna. Ruto." she said, as Asuna frowned "Yui-chan, where are your parents?" she asked. Yui shook her head "I dunno. I dunno anything." she exclaimed. Asuna looked down in sadness, only to feel a hand on her sat down next to her "Hey Yui-chan. I am Naruto." he said. "Ruto." said Yui. "Na-ru-to." he spelled it out, as she again failed to say it. "Well, I guess it's hard. Call us anything you like." he said. Yui tilted her head "Papa. Mama." she said, looking at both. Asuna thought for a second then grinned "That's right Yui-chan. I am Mama!" she said, as Yui smiled and hugged her "Mama!" she said. Asuna raised her to the air "You must be hungry Yui-chan! Let's have breakfast!" she said.

Yui looked at Naruto in curiosity, who was holding a newspaper on one hand and a chicken sandwich on the other. Asuna arrived, placing a plate of cake next to Naruto's plate "This is for you Yui-chan." she said. She looked at the cake, then at Naruto's sandwich "I want Papa's." she said. Naruto smirked, giving her his second "Alright. Open up!" he said, as she took a bite. She munched on it, some cream on her mouth, before grinning "Yummy!" she said, as he grinned "Alright. Tonight we got chicken!" he said. Asuna huffed "Like I'd cook that." she said playfully, as Naruto patted Yui "You heard her." he said, laughing as Yui copied him.

They looked at a fast asleep Yui. "Naruto-kun. She is like a baby. I don't want to…" Asuna started crying. He sat next to her, hugging her "I know. I know. Even if she spent little time with us, she made me feel like we had a true home." he said, as she nodded with a smile. "Besides, if she has a guardian he or she would be very worried about her." he said, as Asuna nodded again. She rose, wiping a few tears "Alright. We will get her to the Starting Town tomorrow." she said. He nodded, then turned serious "Be sure to be armed. We might come across The Army." he said, as she nodded. They turned, smiling at Yui, who whispered mama and papa.

 **Starting Town**

Naruto, Asuna and Yui, sitting on Naruto's shoulders, teleported to the starting town. Naruto wore a pair of black jeans, grey boots and a grey shirt below a black leather jacket made of dragon leather. His blade, Juuchi Yosamu, was around his belt. Asuna wore a red skirt, brown boots, a white shirt with a thin red jacket above. Her rapier, Lambent Light, was around her waist. Yui wore a blue skirt, brown boots and a pink shirt. "It's been a long time since we been here." said Naruto, as he and Asuna remembered the events that transpired on the first day. "Yui-chan, remember any of these buildings?" she asked, as Yui looked around before saying "Not really.". Naruto laughed "Well, Starting town is freakingly big. Let's go over to the marketplace first." he said, as they nodded.

As they made their way through the Starting merchants, Asuna turned to Naruto "Naruto-kun. How many players are in Starting Town?" she asked. "Let's see. Around 6.500 players are still alive in SAO. If we include the Army, around one third of them are here. So, two thousand, give or take a few dozens." he said. "Yet, the streets look empty." she said, as he nodded. Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from the alleway. Rushing in, they saw a group of Army men standing between a woman and three children, demanding payment. To the Army's shock, Naruto and Asuna jumped above them. "Naruto-kun, protect Yui." Asuna said, drawing her rapier, getting a nod. The Army Officer took out his sword, only to gasp as Asuna struck him with the rapier twice, dropping him to the ground. "In Towns, HP won't drop. There will be a knockback effect. But fights are enough to cause fear." she said, with narrowed eyes, preparing to attack, only for the Army to run away in fright.

The children surrounded her, as the woman thanked her. Naruto turned to Yui "Mama's strong eh- Yui? What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her lift her hand to the sky. "Everyone, everyone's hearts." she said. Asuna approached "Yui-chan, remembered anything?" she asked. "I wasn't here, I was in a dark room. Everyone- AH!" she screamed, as a static shock wave coursed through everyone, as Naruto held Yui from falling off. Yui dropped asleep, as Naruto widened his eyes 'What was that?' he thought.

 _ **Next Day**_

Naruto, Asuna and a recovered Yui were inside the church, looking at a large amount of kids who ate happily. Next to them, was Sasha, the guardian of all these children. Sasha was a woman with shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. She wore rimless oval glasses and a long blue dress with a white collar. "Is Yui-chan alright?" asked Sasha, as Asuna nodded "Indeed. She got a nice sleep so she is well." she said. "Has anything like this happened before?" she asked. Naruto shook his head "No this is the first time. At least for us. We found her in the woods on the 22nd floor. She appears to have lost her memories. That's why we came to you." Naruto said, watching Asuna playing with Yui. "Well, when SAO started all these kids were traumatized. I brought them here and took care of them. But I never seen any girl like Yui." Sasha said, getting two sighs. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.

Opening it, they saw a woman before them. She was tall, with long silver hair tied in a ponytail and sky blue eyes. She wore a dark green coat below a grey cape, the Army colours. She also had a short sword on her right side and a curled up whip on her left. She bowed "Greetings. I am Yulier." she said. "Are you here to reprimand us for what we did to the Army?" Asuna asked with a frown. "No, on the contrary. I am here to thank you. I require your assistance." she said, getting raised eyebrows.

They led her to a table, as they begun to talk "You see, our leader Thinker didn't want to make an oppressive organization. He only wanted to freely distribute food and information. But the Army grew too big. A player named Kibaou gained too much influence." she said, Naruto narrowing his eyes at the name. "He monopolized hunting grounds and even kicked out citizens under the guise of tax evasion. But the growing discomfort forced him to send his best soldiers to the frontlines." she continued, as Asuna frowned. "After the terrible results, his power lowered. We were about to banish him, but he trapped Thinker into a dungeon." he said, as they widened their eyes. "What about crystals?" he asked, as she shook her head "Don't tell me?" Asuna asked. "He respected Kibaou's request to go unarmed, so he did. But he is trapped in a high-level dungeon and I am not strong enough to go. But when I heard two powerful players arrived, I came to ask your assistance. Please help me!" she said, bowing.

Naruto and Asuna started thinking, before they heard Yui say she wasn't lying. "Are you sure Yui-chan?" she asked. "Yes. I don't know how but I can feel it." she said. Naruto smiled "Well, I prefer to regret trusting her than regret doubting her. We're in." said Naruto, as Asuna nodded, smiling and Yulier thanking them.

 _ **Dungeon**_

The Dungeon of the first Floor was made of black stones and decorated with columns. Naruto and Asuna, in their uniforms, with Yui on Asuna's back, and Yulier walked through the Dungeon. Yulier and Asuna talked about the Army, while Naruto cleaned through wave after wave of mobs. "I really do apologise for not being able to help." Yulier said. "It's fine. For Naruto-kun this is not even a challenge. If they manage to give enough XP to get him to Level 290 I would be impressed." she said, as Yulier almost choked on the air "2-290?" she asked in surprise, as Asuna nodded "I don't know who is stronger. My Naruto-kun or Heathcliff." she said.

As they reached the Final Floor, Yulier rushed ahead, seeing Yulier. However, Naruto narrowed his eyes, rushing and grabbing Yulier, pushing her to the ground, inches away from a scythe about to decapitate her. He pushed her to the safe area, as Thinker caught her. Asuna approached him, as they looked at the Boss. It was massive skeleton with red eyes, wearing a tattered black robe with a hood and holding an enormous silver scythe. He resembled the Grim Reaper. They saw the walls gain a blue-violet shade of lighting. Naruto turned to Asuna "Stand back and protect Yui. This boss is as strong as the Boss of Floor 90. Only I can fight it." he said. "But-" "Now!" said Naruto, unsheathing Juuchi Yosamu. Asuna nodded, pushing her back, as she told Yulier and Thinker to go, with them complying. Naruto rushed at the boss, swinging his Tachi as the Boss swung his scythe. A shock wave was created, before Naruto disappeared, while the boss swung his scythe all around him, sparks flying. Naruto appeared above him, swinging his sword downwards and forming a large scar in the Boss's skull, only to be pushed back by a hit from the Scythe. He growled, feeling the damage, before disappearing, appearing above the boss, his blade sheathed. "Crescent moon attack." he said, as he disappeared, only for three slice wounds to appear on the Boss's robe, with Naruto appearing behind him, stabbing his blade at it's back, only to shout in pain and quickly unsheathing it. He jumped back, as a purple liquid destroyed his glove "Damn. It can release acid when hit." he said, disappearing and engaging the boss in a close range fight. A flash was seen, before both Boss and Naruto flew backwards, Naruto crashing into a column. Asuna rushed to his side, only to gasp as Yui stood between them and the Boss. The Fatal Scythe swung his Scythe at her, as Yui smiled at their shocked faces. Their shock grew, as the scythe bounced back, an Immortal Object icon appearing. Flames surrounded Yui's arm, forming an enormous greatsword made of fire. She swung it, destroying the Boss in one go. She turned to them, as the sparks flew down "I remember now." she said.

Naruto and Asuna were in the safe room, which was a square white room, with Yui sitting in the middle, on top of a black stone, which was a GM console. "You remember Yui-chan?" Asuna asked as she nodded. "Naruto-san, Asuna-san." she said, as they looked surprised when she said their names "SAO is run by a massive self-sustained system, called Cardinal. It operated without the need from Human maintenance. Everything, from the AI'S of mobs and monsters, to the drop rates, even the mental health of players, is all run by programs of the Cardinal. Mental Health Counseling Program. First Prototype. Codename Yui." she said. Asuna and Naruto widened their eyes "So you're an AI? But you lost your memories! Can that happen to an AI?" Asuna asked. "To be able to better become acquainted with players, I have the ability to emulate emotions. Even my tears aren't real. I am sorry. As for the second question, two years ago,the Cardinal ordered me not to meet any players. I simply monitored mental health, as nothing else was allowed. The results were terrible. Fear, mental breakdowns, desperation, all the negative emotions existed in terrifying quantities. Unable to do anything, I simply continued recording errors, till I broke. But then I met you two. You were peaceful, happy and in love. I wanted to meet you." she said crying "I am sorry.".

"Yui-chan. You're just like a human eh?" she asked. Yui shook her head, crying "I don't know anymore." she said. Naruto walked towards her and kneeled "Yui, you're independent now. You're not a controlled program. Tell us what you want." he said, smiling. She raised her arms crying "I want to always be with you, Papa, Mama!" she said. Asuna cried and hugged her "We will be together. Always." she said. Naruto hugged both of them "Of course. You're our daughter Yui-chan." he said.

She cried, but let go "It's too late." she said, pointing at the stone. This is an emergency GM console. I used it to kill the Boss. But now the system runs checks on my program. I disobeyed the Cardinal, so I am a foreign object, about to be deleted." she said. Naruto and Asuna were shocked "Can't anything be done?" he asked. She shook her head, starting to glow. Asuna hugged her, crying "No! This is the beginning!" she cried out. "When everyone is with you, they always smile. Keep it that way." she said, starting to vanish. "No! If you're not with me, I can't smile!" she said, as Yui held her cheek "Smile, Mama." she whispered, as she vanished completely.

Asuna held the air, before falling to the ground, crying. Naruto growled, his eyes turning red for a second, before rushing, using the GM keyboard. "What are you doing, Naruto-kun?" she asked. He shook his head, growling, as a black screen of coding appeared, running a bar. Once the bar was full, a blast of light appeared, as Naruto fell back. He rose, outstretching his hand and putting something on Asuna's arms. It was a light blue crystal shaped like a teardrop. "I used the GM console to override the system and transport Yui's program into an object. You're holding our daughter's heart." he said. She widened her eyes, smiling, tears dropping on it. "So, we will be able to meet her again?" she asked. He nodded "Yes. She is set to be stored in my Local Memory of the NerveGear. Without this world, it will be difficult, but not impossible." he said, as she nodded. "We shall meet you again Yui-chan." said Asuna.

 **Done! Hope you guys liked it! It was so heartwarming and sad at once. I always liked Yui's storyline. I changed her appearance to look more like Asuna and Naruto, but her personality is still the same. Also, you got a taste of Naruto's true power, as he was able to fight equally the Skull Reaper, something Kirito was unable to do. But you will get an actual taste next Chapter. Send any questions you have. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	9. Chapter 9:The Fall of a Reality

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the ninth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the battle against the 75th Boss and good ol Kayaba! Enough said. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 9: The Fall of a Reality**

 _ **Boss Room**_

Naruto and Asuna, in their respective outfits, were standing in front of the Boss Room, alongside numerous other players. Next to them was Kirito, Klein and Agil, who wore a green shirt, black pants and a steel Gladiator Chestplate, along with a steel Two handed Battle Axe. A few feet away was Heathcliff, in his red armour, along with the KoB group. Behind them, were players from many other guilds. They had all come, to see Naruto defeat the Boss and if he fails, to do the job themselves.

After Yui's transformation into an object, Naruto and Asuna spent their time in their house. They befriended a dozen or so players who were in that floor, as Naruto tested fishing. They had particularly enjoyed the time with a middle-aged man named Nishida. With him, Naruto caught a kingfish, which was a Field Boss. They enjoyed their time there, but sadly, it was time for the raid. Even if Asuna worried, Naruto told her he will be fine. He also ordered Agil, Klein and Kirito to take care of her.

They turned to Heathcliff, who stood in front of the door, Naruto approaching him. He stabbed his shield to the ground "Ahead lies the boss Room. Naruto, the Shadow Blade, shall fight the boss on his own. We are to attack only if he fails. Let us do this. For victory and to return home!" he said, as many roared, cheering Naruto. Naruto took a breath, before opening the Doors and walking inside, the players slowly following him. Once all were inside, Naruto told them "Scatter. Go into those tiny islands. Leave this part for me alone." he said, unsheathing his Tachi. They nodded, as Kirito, Asuna, Klein and Agil went into the one with the best view, along with Heathcliff. Naruto took a deep breath, before looking up and yelling "Come out, **Skull Reaper**!". Suddenly, the floor glowed red, as the Boss fell down to the floor. It was a large centipede Skeleton, made of metal, each of his legs a sharp curved blade. It had an elongated skull and blood red eyes. It roared, charging at Naruto at fast speeds.

Naruto smirked "Ukifune." he muttered, slicing the Boss from left to right diagonally. The Boss roared, hovering over the air for a few seconds, as Naruto sheathed his sword, saying " **Tsujikaze**." he said, slicing the boss at speeds the normal eye couldn't see, forming a large scar on the head of the Boss. The boss roared, rushing at him. Naruto jumped high in the air, as the Reaper raised part of his body, sending his two forward legs in a forward thrust. Naruto yelled " **Tsumuji Guruma!** " before spinning in a full circle, hitting away both legs, as he hit the Boss again in the head. He fell to the ground, as the boss roared, having lost one of his five HP bars. "I don't want to waste Health or Energy on you, so I will end this quickly." he said. He raised his sword in the air, as it glowed a black colour. " **Mugetsu.** " he whispered, disappearing as a black light beam appeared in the Boss's body, as it roared in pain, losing almost all of his Health, his last HP bar going to the yellow. Naruto smirked "I'm surprised you survived that. **Mugetsu** is the Ultimate Katana Skill. It can kill a Level 80 Boss in one attack. But, it's still over. **Zekku**." he said, sheathing and unsheathing his blade in a quick motion, as a large scar appeared on the Head of the Boss. It roared, before vanishing in green particles.

Naruto sheathed his blade, as the Boss Room opened, the red light replaced with normal natural light, as he turned to the Raid Group, grinning at their wide eyed looks. Soon cheers erupted, with people yelling that taking down this Game would be easier now. Naruto however didn't hear them, instead focusing his gaze on the back of Heathcliff. Narrowing his eyes, he yelled "Gatotsu!" appearing behind Heathcliff, as he barely turned, only to get his neck pierced. However, that would be the case, if an invisible barrier didn't protect him, with a purple icon saying 'Invisible Object' appearing. Naruto frowned, jumping back, Asuna appearing next to him "A system-granted invulnerability?" she asked.

Naruto sheathed his sword "This man is protected by the system. His HP will never drop into the yellow zone. I always wondered 'Where is he observing this world from?'. But I almost missed something obvious, something I know better than most. There is nothing more boring in the Gaming World, than watching others play an MMORPG. Am I correct, Kayaba Akihiko?" he asked. Heathcliff raised an eyebrow "For future reference, how did you find out?" he asked. Naruto crossed his arms "Whenever an important event or a raid happened, I returned in disguise to watch over Asuna. I was present in your match against Kirito. Kirito, you can attest that for one second, Heathcliff moved beyond the speed his Level, Armor and statistics give him." He said, Kirito nodding with a frown. "That was a mistake from my part. Kirito's attacks overwhelmed me, so I used the over-assist mode of the System." he said with closed eyes.

He opened them again, talking with a changed voice "I am Kayaba Akihiko. And if I may add, I am the Boss of the 100th Floor." he said, as multiple gasps were heard. "That's a twisted scenario. To turn the strongest player into the Ultimate Boss." said Kirito. Kayaba smirked "But it's interesting don't you think? I figured it would be you Kirito-kun who would stand against me in the Final Floor. The Dual Wielding is given to the player with the fastest reactions. It was meant for that player to fight the Demon King. But your strength is greater than I imagined. Then, we have Naruto-kun." he said, smirking even more. "Your love for the woman next to you, your unbreakable will, it helped you survive the Floors single-handedly. Kirito's power is well below yours. It was quite unexpected for a player to reach such a Level. On the other hand, MMORPG's are enjoyable for that reason." he said, before tapping some buttons on his menu, as every player except Naruto and Kirito fell to the ground, paralyzed. Naruto grabbed Asuna, holding her, as he looked at Kayaba "Bastard." he growled. "So, will you kill us to conceal the truth?" asked Kirito. Kayaba laughed "Of course not. That is not reasonable. I will simply abandon you and meet you again at the Ruby Palace on the Final Floor. It will be a shame to leave the KoB and the Clearers group midway, but I'll manage. But I believe you two deserve a reward." he said, getting raised eyebrows.

"The reward will be this. One of you has a chance to defeat me here. I will of course take off my immortality. If you defeat me, the game is cleared and all players return. But you two must choose who will do it." he said. Asuna yelled "Don't do it Naruto-kun!" she yelled. Kirito turned to Naruto "Let me do this. Think of her." he said. Naruto looked at him for a moment, then at Asuna, before taking out a bottle of water "For good luck." he said. Kirito nodded "Thank you." he said, drinking it. He was about to walk forward, only to fall to the ground 'Paralysis?' he thought. Naruto unsheathed his sword "Your welcome. But this is my fight." he said, as Asuna screamed not to fight. He approached Heathcliff, stopping a few feet away. He turned to Agil "Agil, thank you for supporting the swordsman Class. I know your profits go to training players in the middle floors." he said, Agil crying lightly. Naruto then turned to Klein "Klein. I am sorry for not hanging out with you longer. I will miss your personality." he said. Klein cried "No Naruto! I won't forgive you! Only if you take me out for food!" he yelled. Naruto nodded, before turning and smiling to Kirito "Sorry pal. But I will never let a friend die. And if you fight him, that's what will happen." He said, as Kirito started crying. He then smiled at Asuna "Don't worry. We will meet each other again. Soon, I promise." he said, before his eyes became cold.

He turned to Kayaba, who had disabled his immortality and sent him a duel request. He tapped it 'This is not a duel. This is a fight to the death. And he will be the one who will die.' he thought. The moment the timer hit zero, Naruto roared, rushing and swinging his blade 'I can't use normal attacks. His Unique Skill will stop any and all attacks. I must use real life techniques, force him to submission. And for maximum effects, time to use that." he thought. He swung his blades at high speeds, as Kayaba blocked each with his shield. The moment he swung his own blade, Naruto ducked, before jumping and spinning, swinging his sword, as Kayaba narrowly blocked with his shield, his rear wide open. But what he didn't expect, along with everyone else, was for a second sword to appear in Naruto's arms, and slice Kayaba's side, getting his health a bit above yellow. He jumped back, as Kayaba's eyes widened in shock "How! You can't have that?" He said. Naruto smirked, twirling both blades. His new sword was a Katana, it's blade pure white. It had an oval guard, with the handle made of white and black materials. A dragon was carved around the guard. " **Yamato**. The sword of the 90th Floor's Secret Dungeon. But if you got that then-" Kayaba asked, as Naruto nodded. "Indeed. I defeated that boss enough times to craft this. My **Nito-Ichi** skill, given to the player with the best hand-eye coordination. The strongest Tachi in the game, coming from the Boss meant to give the items necessary for the Final Battle. The strongest Katana in the game, coming from the only Boss whose power is similar to the Final Boss's, yours. I wouldn't fight you without knowing I can win. And I can win!" he yelled, rushing and beginning using both swords at once. Kayaba tried blocking as best as he could, but Naruto was naturally better. His style was unpredictable, unblockable, unstoppable. However, that wasn't the end of it. Slowly, a red aura formed around Naruto, his power rising with each attack. At one point, Naruto's eyes became red with slits, as he slashed in half Kayaba's shield with one strong strike. Kayaba looked in shock, before smiling, accepting his destiny. Naruto roared, thrusting Juuchi Yosamu, as a spirit dragon appeared above Naruto, roaring. A 'quelch' was heard, as Naruto's tachi pierced Kayaba's heart. He saw Kayaba's health going to zero, before blowing up in a million particles. The particles moved through all of Aincrad, before an announcement was heard. 'As of November the seventh, at 2:55 PM, SAO is cleared. SAO is cleared.' it said, before everything turned into light.

Naruto opened his eyes, checking the area around him. He was high in the air, standing on top of a barrier, his blades gone. He could see clouds below him. He then heard a sound of "Naruto-kun." and turned, noticing Asuna. He smiled, approaching her, as she rushed and kissed him. He returned the kiss, before letting go and pressing his forehead with hers "I did it." he whispered. She smiled, pointing down "I know." She said. Looking down, he saw Aincrad getting destroyed. They both looked sad when they saw their house torn in half. "Quite the view isn't it?" they heard. Turning, they saw a man with short brown hair, brown eyes, wearing a white lab coat above a black shirt and brown trousers. "Kayaba." said Naruto with narrowed eyes.

"As we speak, the SAO mainframe's memory banks on Argus's HQ, are being purged of all data. In ten minutes, the game will cease to exist." he said. "What of the players?" asked Asuna. He checked a log list "Don't worry. All 6147 players successfully logged out." he said. "And the 4000 who died?" Naruto asked. "They died. No matter the world, the dead stay dead." he said. Naruto clenched his fist "Why?" he asked.

"Why? To be honest, I don't remember. I always wanted to build that castle, where no boundaries exist. That was my dream since I was little, while I was building the Full Dive technology. And now, someone surpassed my laws. You see, the one meant to defeat me had to bypass my shield, not by breaking it, but by being faster than it. It was never meant to be broken. Yet, you gained a skill that bypassed the Power of the Cardinal System. I don't know how, but you did." he said, as Naruto and Asuna widened their eyes. He turned back to the destroyed Castle "You see, Naruto-kun. I still believe that this caslte exists somewhere." he said, getting nods from Naruto and Kushina. He turned, walking away "Until we see each other again." he said, disappearing.

Naruto and Asuna sat down, looking at the sun shining upon the vanishing Castle. "Next time we meet, it will be with our true bodies." he said. She nodded, turning to him "But before that, can you tell me your name?" she asked. He nodded "Naruto. Namikaze Naruto." he said. "Namikaze Naruto. Eighteen Years old since last month." he said. "Namikaze Naruto-kun. You're older than me." she smiled "I am Yuuki Asuna. I am seventeen." she said. Naruto grinned "Yuuki Asuna. I will remember that name. And I will get to know you again, in the real world." he said, getting closer. "And I will get to love you again, in the real world." she said. They shared a kiss, before the world around them exploded.

 _ **Tokyo Hospital**_

Naruto groggily opened his eyes, looking around in an unfamiliar room. Suddenly, his senses went haywire, as the smell of the hospital, the sounds of the life support system and the feel of the bed were new to him. He instantly rose "Asuna!" he yelled, panting. He looked around, before his hands went to the Nerve Gear. He took it off, placing it at his sides, giving it a good look. He tore off the IV's from his arm, as the machines started to beat. Suddenly, two nurses entered the room, seeing him rising. He turned to them "Inform the doctor I am awake. I need information." he barked out, as they instantly rushed away. He tore off the upper part of his pajamas, as he looked his body in the mirror. His muscles were tense, lacked exercise and looked weak. He still maintained his muscle type, but he looked weak. He clenched his fist, but he couldn't see his muscles tightening. He frowned, before checking a small decoration, that looked like a sword handle. He held on to it, smirking as he saw veins unconsciously appearing on his fingers. "Looks like I need practice. Only my fingers remember. And yet, they still feel numb." he thought. He turned to the window, looking at Tokyo. Turning at the sky, he smiled, before going back to his bed "I will meet you soon, Asuna-chan." he smiled.

 **D-O-N-E! I am so happy with this chapter! Hope you guys liked it! Sorry that it is short, I didn't want to show the real life. Naruto kicked both the Boss and Kayaba's ass, revealed two unique skills and woke up like a boss. Pretty good in my opinion. Now, I won't say anything. Next time, will be Naruto's life after SAO and the preparation for the move to ALO. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	10. Chapter 10: Coping with Reality

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the tenth chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features what happened in the two months after Sao and before Naruto joins ALO. Note: Italics are narration, not flashbacks in this chapter. Flashback scenes will be noted. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 10: Coping with Reality**

 _Two months had passed since Naruto woke up in a hospital. Two months since he defeated Kayaba and cleared Sword Art Online. After he woke up, the Head Doctor came and informed him of his condition. He also informed him that his parents knew he woke up and would be coming soon. But the Head Doctor wasn't alone, he came with a man. He was tal, with black hair and black eyes. He wore glasses and a green business suit. His name… Kikuoka Seijirou, member of the Second Advanced Network Division, Technology Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, or Virtual Division._

 _ **Flashback**_

Naruto, wearing his pajamas again, was sitting in the hospital bed, looking at the man in front of him with a raised eyebrow, as the doctor excused himself. After a moment of staring, Naruto spoke "So, you're a member of a new Division in the government, the virtual Division, meant to deal with threats like the SAO incident, threats that spun in the Virtual World?" he asked, as the man nodded with a smile. "Funny, you're stance and sharp look make you look like an active or an ex-soldier. Let me guess, JSDF?" he asked, as the man stayed silent. Finally, he smirked "As expected of you to figure it out." he said, as Naruto laid down on the bed. "Why are you here?" he asked. Seijirou sat down on a chair next to him "I would like to know more about what happened inside SAO." he said. Naruto thought about it "Under two conditions. I know someone as important as me being trapped in SAO would be global news by now, so when I wake up, the media will come in. I want you to buy me a red-haired wig, that will look like my natural hair when I wear it. We will tell the media that my NerveGear was a special one and any changes I did in that world, somehow occurred in the Real World as well. And buy me two lenses to change my eye colour. I don't want to walk around and people noticing me. Have them be green." He said, as Seijirou nodded. "And second, you will give me the location of a specific player. I assume you have a catalog of all ten thousand SAO players right?" he asked. Seijirou nodded "Both terms are manageable. But I would like a request. If you join your father's military division, seeing as you're an adult now, I would like to request you help in the development of machines used for cyber-warfare, seeing as the new technology has unlimited possibilities." he said. Naruto stayed silent, then spoke "If I join the company and my father accepts it, I will." he said. Seijirou nodded, so Naruto told him everything he could need. Them, Seijirou told him he will send him the address through email, before thanking him and leaving.

Ten minutes later, the door opened again, as the Head doctor and his parents entered. The moment Kushina laid eyes on Naruto's icy blue eyes, which instead of the old boredom and willpower, held maturity, pain and awareness, she burst in tears, rushing and hugging Naruto, her head in his chest. Naruto's eyes widened, looking down at his mother, who kept muttering apologies. He looked at his father's eyes, who let the tears flow, before understanding. He raised her up, as her red eyes looked at his own, which now held love and acknowledgement. "I forgive you, both of you. For everything." He said, tears coming from his eyes, as he hugged his mother tightly, causing her to cry more. His father joined, hugging both of them. The doctor left, giving the reunited family some privacy.

 _ **Flashback End**_

 _After the family reunion, their relationship got better. They stayed with him much longer, even taking days off of work for him, so that they could be there during his rehab period. After a month of rehab, he was finally able to move freely and do strenuous activities. He wrote some tests to show he had the knowledge of the two school years he missed and after he passed, he did tests to get a driving license for cars and a driving license for bikes. Then, he asked his father to get him a position in the military company. His father accepted right away, as he would be with his son more often. As a gift, he wanted to buy him a house in a part of Tokyo, but Naruto told him if he truly wanted to give him a gift, then let him use the money in his own way, as he wanted a special house. His father complied, happy that his son was thinking every step he took. With the amount of money he gained, he could buy a small mansion. Instead, he bought a two-story house with a garage and a large basement, along with a nice big backyard, however, it was special. It was made by reinforced concrete and the windows were bulletproof. Also, he had bought it for the basement, to be used as his own space. But, he wouldn't be able to fit it completely without a few months of work. Luckily, he was in a high position, so he had a nice budget._

 _His father placed Naruto in charge of a newly created research team. Their task was to try and find a way to connect the NerveGear, or the now popular Amusphere, which was designed to have harmless microwaves, so that the SAO incident of in-game deaths couldn't work on the device. The purpose behind it, which was gonna be the next tasks they would have, was to send a human's mind, equipped with hacking-class hardware and software knowledge and some hacking devices, inside that network and attempt to destroy it from within. To do that, they would have to create a program which showed the entire security network, along with its strengths and weaknesses. Then, they would have to make another program which masked the location of the NerveGear or Amusphere user. The results would be the first steps to creating an undetectable infiltrator, capable of entering any network and shattering. But that was stage one. The true aim was to use the VR machines for a man to be able to enter any machine and control it within. Naruto understood the implications his research created, but he had no choice, as it helped his own personal goal._

 _After he entered the job and accessed military-grade equipment, he also acquired the information of Asuna's location. As it turned out, she was still asleep, having not escaped the world of the Nervegear. That's why he complied with the project, to find a way to reach Asuna. He visited her as frequently as possible, always wearing his new disguise and sat down next to her. For her safety, he actually hacked the hospital system and gained access to the cameras, connecting to the one in Asuna's room from his home during non-visitor times, just to make sure she was fine. He even met her father, a kind man. He was glad he couldn't see who he was, until one fateful day._

 _ **Flashback**_

Naruto sat in his house, reading a book of advanced mechatronics, while his new laptop had some designs of the NerveGear. He was trying to find a way to change the NerveGear's ability to connect to one NerveGear network, to being able to connect to all of Earth's networks. However, he heard the alarm indicating someone entered Asuna's room. Out of sheer curiosity, knowing her father was already inside to change flowers and sit down next to her, he saw an unknown man entered. He was tall, with slicked back black hair and dark eyes. He wore a businessman suit with a red tie and black glasses. He had a friendly expression on his face, but with a look in his eyes Naruto could see the twisted nature the man had. During the first part of the conversation, he learned the man's name was Sugou Nobuyuki and he was the Chief of the research institute of RECT Inc, the company Asuna's father had. As he kept hearing, his anger and desperation grew. It seemed this Sugou would marry Asuna, if her father said yes since she is in a coma. And as it appeared, the chances of saying no were very few. But his sorrow turned into rage, as he saw Sugou sniff her hair, touch her lips and lick his own lips with his tongue in a perverted and lunatic manner. He growled, as he was inches away from using his M9A3 beretta on him. However, knowing Asuna would say he was better than that, he reluctantly stopped himself. He rose and called Kirito, asking if he and Suguha wanted to see him fight using Kendo in an hour. They accepted, as he told them where to go.

Kirito and Suguha found themselves in the biggest Kendo School in Tokyo. There Suguha saw Naruto for the first time, wearing Kendo protection gear. To their shock, he fought single-handedly the four master students of Kendo at once. And what a fight it was. Even as masters of the style, they simply couldn't touch Naruto, who dodged or blocked all of their strikes. After a minute of this, in an impressive display of skill, Naruto took down all four of them with one strike each. After doing it again four times, they stopped, succumbing to Naruto's impressive strength. Suguha was so hyped she asked to fight him and he agreed, after promising Kirito he would use only the necessary force to defeat her. To see her skill, for the first minute he tested her offensive, dodging easily every attack. After that, he turned to a slow offensive, hitting her with strikes that favoured power over speed, but for her it was still fast. The finale was when she tried to block an attack on her stomach, only for Naruto to raise the blade, hitting her heart. Suguha's expression was priceless, as when she took off her helmet her eyes were wide as saucers, her mouth hanging. He patted her head and told her she had potential and she just needed to work on her reactions. After that, they went out for drinks. As Suguha used the restroom, Naruto explained the situation to Kirito, who understood and told him not to give up. Naruto agreed and they hanged out for the rest of the day.

 _ **Flashback End / Present Day**_

Naruto yawned, closing the alarm clock, looking at the fact it was 5 AM in the morning and he would need to go to work at 10. Shrugging, he rose from the bed, did his morning activities on the bathroom and did a two hour morning jog. He returned home at 7:10 AM, did a bath and put on some light clothes, as he opened his PC to do some work. Luckily, as the Head of the Research, all he had to do was stay until 2 PM, then he could leave. He mostly did work at home, while he implemented the results of his work there, along with assisting the team on whatever it needed. His group loved him and trusted him, as he never acted arrogant or bossy and made them work effortlessly to the maximum of their abilities. As he returned from the kitchen, making a juice out of orange, grapefruit, sanguine and lemon, he noticed that his Computer showed an email notification. Opening it, he raised an eyebrow as it was an emergency Mail from Agil. Shrugging, he opened it and let it load while taking a sip of juice. However, once he saw what it was, he spat it out, before wiping his mouth and looking at it intently with wide eyes. It was a blurry photo of a girl. "Asuna?" said outloud Naruto. Quickly, he used his computer to increase the quality of the picture, before becoming even more shocked. He saw a girl identical to Asuna, but with elf ears. Frowning, he changed to his Army Research Uniform, which was a red version of the standard Army uniform, along with having the Triangle Insignia on it. Grabbing his backpack, he hopped on his Harley bike, which was a gift from his mother and made his way to Agil's bar.

 _ **Dicey Cafe**_

The Dicey Cafe was a bar run by Andrew, Agil's real name. The floor was made of wood, it had four tables and a counter with several stools. Many bottles could be seen on shelves behind the counter, while various posters were hanged around. A jukebox was on one corner. The place had a relaxed atmosphere. As Naruto entered, he saw Agil behind the counter, clearing glasses. He smiled "Hey Andrew. Still empty?" he joked, as Andrew sent him a mock glare "Just come at nighttime. See if you find an empty seat." he replied. Naruto removed his backpack, standing on a stool, as Andrew served him a cup of coffee. He thanked him and took a sip. Sighing, he looked at him seriously "What was that photo?" he asked.

Agil passed him a game "Can you tell me what that is?" he first asked. Naruto looked at it "Yes. Alfheim Online. The newest VRMMORPG hit, for the Amusphere. I heard of it. What about it?" he asked. "Well, it supposedly means 'Land of Fairies'. It uses an extreme-skill system, which means there are no levels and to become better you must grind your skills and rely on your physical capabilities." He said "It also gives you the ability to fly, as it has a flight engine. I hear it's very popular now?" he said. Naruto shrugged "I am only interested in the Asuna part." he said.

"The photo was taken in the World Tree, Yggdrasil, inside ALO. There's a legendary castle on top of it. In ALO, nine races battle for who will first reach it. But they can't fly forever, so five players flew in piggyback, using each other as jet boosters." he said, as Naruto nodded, understanding their idea. "Still, they couldn't reach the lowest branch, but they managed to take a few pictures. One of them showed a birdcage and if you zoomed in as much as possible, this was shown." he said. Naruto looked at the game, before noticing it was made of RCT. Clenching his teeth, he took out his wallet and gave Agil some yen "For the coffee and the game." he said, taking it. "Will you go there?" he asked, as Naruto nodded.

He chuckled for a second, placing it on his backpack "A game where you can't die, is a piece of cake for me. I will need to buy an Amusphere." he said, putting on his backpack. "No need to, it works fine with NerveGear." he said, as Naruto nodded "Alright then." he said. "Bring Asuna back Naruto. The fight isn't over until both of you are here." Agil said, raising his fist. Naruto fistbumped him "Indeed. Let's meet here one day all together." he said, before exiting.

 _ **Home**_

After returning home, Naruto sat down and took his NerveGear. Looking at it, he whispered "Let us fight once again, old friend." he said to himself, putting the game inside and putting it on. He sat down, before saying again " **Link Start!** " He activated all the parameters in the old array of colours, before he found himself in a Black room, with blue panels and orange lines, as a voice said " **Welcome to Alfheim Online! Please type your gender and name.** " with a blue keyboard appearing. 'If RECT owns this game and took control of Argus, then that Sugou bastard knows it was Maelstrom who defeated Heathcliff and was with Asuna.' he thought. Nodding to himself, he typed in 'Naruto.' and confirmed it, while choosing the Male icon. " **Please choose one of the nine races.** " it said again, as the races appeared. He looked over each, before seeing one that looked like his real self, just with black hair. "Spriggan huh? Specializes in Illusion Magic and Treasure handing. Well, if physical abilities are passed on the game and just increase through grinding, I guess I am good on strength and speed. Well, I choose you! Spriggan!" he said. " **You chose Spriggan. Is that correct? Appearance will be random? Is that fine?"** the voice asked, as Naruto pressed the Yes button. " **Thank you. You will be transported to the Spriggan capital. Good luck on your journey**." the voice said, as Naruto's eyes gained a spark "Here we go again!" he said, before being enveloped in light.

 **WOOOOO! LET'S GO! Hope you guys liked this Chapter. So, we found out what happened to Naruto in real life after he stopped SAO and we saw him prepare for ALO. I chose the Spriggan, which was the most requested. And if you expected Naruto to immediately not only reveal his status to Asuna's parents but to the world as well, my answer is this: Now where is the fun in that? Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to send them. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	11. Chapter 11:A Brave New World

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter eleven of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features Naruto's experience with ALO. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 11: A Brave New World**

 _ **Elder Forest**_

Naruto opened his eyes, as he felt he was falling from the sky. He looked down, to see that he was approaching at fast speeds the Spriggan hometown, which looked like a tall pyramid, with a square temple-like structure on top. However, he felt himself stop in mid-air, as lightning surrounded him, before he fell into a black hole. He then felt himself crashing into grass, moaning. He rose in pain, before stretching "Well, at least that was better than the introduction ceremony of SAO." he joked to himself, before looking down. He was wearing grey boots, black pants, a grey shirt and a black jacket above. He also had a leather strap and could feel the handle of a sword on his back. He then touched his hair, surprised to feel them falling down, in contrast to his spiky look.

He sighed "Well, let me see how this… works?" he asked himself. He tried opening the menu with his right hand and it didn't work. He then tried with his left and when it opened he immediately went to see if there was a Logout button. Sighing in content upon seeing the Logout button, he then checked his stats. However, he didn't expect to see over 15 maxed out Skills. "What is this? All my SAO skills are here? All except the Nito-Ichi skill are here. Is this SAO?" he asked himself. He then went to his items, seeing a **Starter Chokuto** and tons of items which had question marks. "Wait a minute? Could it be here?" he said, quickly scrolling down the list, until he saw an item saying MHCP001. Pressing on it, he saw a familiar looking crystal on his hand. Touching it, it rose into the air, before he was blinded by light. Opening his eyes, he gasped as he saw a glowing Yui levitating in the air. As she slowly opened her eyes, Naruto raised his arm at her "Yui-chan, do you remember me?" he asked. She widened her eyes, before tears started to fall. She dived on him and hugged him "Papa!" she yelled, crying. He held her tightly in his arms, smiling "My little girl…" he said.

They sat down on a log that formed a small bridge above a river. "So, Yui-chan? Do you know what this world is? It is a different game, yet my items and stats from SAO are here." he said. She held her head and closed her eyes for a few moments. "This world is a copy of SAO. The main programs and the graphic format is the same, but the version of the Cardinal System is older." she said. Naruto frowned "Well, RCT, the company of this game, took over Argus's management. They probably use the technology they inherited. But what of my stats?" he asked.

She closed her eyes again, before opening them "This data is your SAO character's data. It somehow remained the same, as if the system protected it, yet it doesn't feel whole. Still, it overlapped your base stats. You're basically using your SAO body, but with a different form." she said. Naruto looked at his items "It might not feel whole because my items and my Nito-Ichi aren't identified." he said. Yui nodded "I suggest deleting your items, before an error identification program picks them up." she said. Naruto thought of it for a second, then shook his head "I passed two years collecting these, so that I could protect Mama. I can't throw them in the trash. Same for my skills. I will place an anti-security device on my NerveGear." he said.

He then laughed "Now, I am a full cheater." he said to himself before turning to Yui "What does the system categorize you as?" he asked. She closed her eyes "I am identified as an artificial player support program, a Navigation Pixie." she said, before light enveloped her. When it was gone, she became the size of Naruto's finger, wearing a white dress and having white wings. "Oh look at my little Yui-chan." said Naruto, patting her head. She blushed "Come on papa." she moaned. "So, you still have admin authorities?" he asked. She shook her head "No. I can only access wide-area map data. "I see." he said, rising to his feet.

"The truth is Yui-chan, we might find Asuna, or Mama, here." he said. Yui flew on his shoulder "What do you mean Papa? Where is Mama?" she asked. "Even after SAO was cleared, Mama was still asleep. I heard a girl on top of Yggdrasil looks like Mama." he said, pointing at the large tree in the distance. "I see. So we will go there Papa?" she asked, as he nodded with a smirk.

"That reminds me. Shouldn't I be in my hometown? Why am I here?" he asked. "I don't know. Maybe something interfered with the system." she said. He shrugged "Oh well." he said, before activating his wings, which were black as night "So these are my wings?" he asked, as she nodded. "You can use a controller to fly." she said. He shook his head "Nah. If these are wings and you can use them, then the chances are you can use them by yourself without a controller." he said, closing his eyes. Suddenly, Yui saw his wings starting to move, before he jumped and flew high in the sky. "Amazing Papa! You already got the hang of this!" she exclaimed. He grinned "How long can I fly?" he asked. "As long as your wings glow. Then, you need to go to the ground." she said. He nodded "Now let us-" "Lookout!" he heard a voice. Turning, he yelped, as another player slammed on him, as they both fell to the ground.

Naruto groaned, rising and looking at the other player. She was short, with shoulder-length blonde hair, cat ears and tail and green eyes. However, her clothes and the three whiskers on her face formed an image on Naruto's mind. "Ow, I hit that baka." the girl moaned, only to yelp as Naruto punched her head. His eye twitched "Who do you call a Baka? Eh, Argo!" he yelled. She widened her eyes, before jumping back, looking at him up and down. She grinned, rushing and hugging him "Ruto-kun!" she yelled. He smirked, patting her head "Good to see you too Argo." he said. She grinned, only to go behind his back, as three Salamanders, wearing red armour and holding large two handed axes appeared. "Ruto-kun! Save me!" she said. He looked at Argo, then at the Salamanders "Are you still an information collector?" he asked, as she nodded "Then after this, you will get me information." he said.

He walked forward, as a Salamander said "Back off newbie!" he said. He simply made a 'come here' motion. The Salamander roared and charged at him, swinging the axe down, only for Naruto to catch it from the staff. "Oh please. This is nothing." he smirked, before swinging the axe around, as the Salamander held on to it, before throwing it up in the sky. As the guy was coming down, Naruto took out his Chokuto and stabbed him in the face, as the guy died. "A game where you're free to kill and you can't die. I might as well have played Dark Spirit 3…" he said to himself before disappearing and reappearing behind the second Salamander, as his head blew to bits, his body following soon enough. "Now. Will you come at me, spiky tomato, or will you run away?" he asked, grinning maniacally. His response was for the Salamander to run off. He looked at his retreating form for a second before laughing "Fools. Don't even know when one is acting." he exclaimed. He turned to Argo "Lead me to a town. We shall talk there." he said. Argo nodded, not noticing Yui hiding in Naruto's jacket.

 _ **Freelia**_

Freelia was the capital city of the Cait Sith. It was a beautiful city, looking like a castle made of granite with medium-sized buildings. Naruto and Argo were currently in a Cafe, drinking milk. "So. What can you tell me of Yggdrasil?" said Naruto. Argo blinked "Well, first off, Yggdrasil is the spot of ALO's first Grand Quest. No matter the race, you can only get ten minutes of flight. But if you can get to the top of the World Tree and meet the Fairy King Oberon, your race will become Alfs and gain unlimited flight." she explained. Naruto nodded "That seems appealing, but how do you reach the top?" he asked. "Well, there's a dome at the base of the tree, but the guardians are ridiculously powerful, so much that a single race can't pass to the Floating City." she said. Naruto frowned "Either a quest is overlooked, or it needs at least two races." he said. "If it's the latter, it's pointless. Why would you do a quest so that someone else can get the reward?" she said "Still, after you experience flying. It's hard to give up. It may take years but-" she was interrupted as Naruto slammed his hand on the table. He growled to himself, before sighing. He rose "Thank you for the information. If I need anything I shall call you." he said, sending her a friend request. She nodded, accepting it "Later, Ruto-kun." she said, smirking. He nodded, smiling.

As he walked away, he saw Yui coming out of his jacket. "What will you do now, Papa?" she asked. "I shall go to Yggdrasil and take it down by force. I shall burn it to the ground if it means finding Mama." he said, his eyes becoming cold. His eyes softened, looking at Yui "Don't worry. We will save Mama." he said, as she smiled and nodded. She stayed on the pocket of his jacket and fell asleep. Naruto went into a safe zone and stayed down. "I will find you Asuna." he said, before disconnecting." Unknown to him, his eyes became blood red for a slight second, as in the deep ends of the system, something pulsed.

 _ **Yggdrasil**_

The World Tree, Yggdrasil. The tallest structure in the game, the spot of the first quest and the place. On one of the lowest branches, stood a large birdcage, made of gold. Inside, was a table with two chairs and a large bed. Sitting on one of the chairs, was Asuna. She wore a white long skirt, white strips around her ankles, a white crop that was held by a red ribbon forming a bow and her ears were decorated with gold leaves. She was sitting with a sad expression on her face, as some birds flew around. Her face turned to one of annoyance when she heard a voice "That expressions is simply divine Titania. When you're face is ready to burst into tears. If only I captured it." the voice said. The birdcage opened and inside came a man with long blonde hair held by an emerald-decorated crown, green hair, pale skin and green wings. He wore a long dark green robe, a green cloak held by an emerald, silver sandals and his ears were decorated with gold leaves. "You can. After all, you are an administrator here." she said. "You're so cold. When will you accept me Titania?" he asked. "Stop calling me that." she said. "You're not fun." he said. "I am the Fairy King Oberon! Ruler of all Fairies and the one the races look up to. And you're my queen, Titania. Why not play along?" he asked. She closed her eyes "You're wasting you're time. I am Asuna and I will never be your Queen. All I feel for you is loathing and annoyance." she replied. He sat on top of the table next to her, grabbing her chin "You know, I always felt compelled to just… take you by force." he said, as he run his hand along her smooth skin. Even when he started loosening her bow, a look of defiance was still on her face. He stopped, smirking "I am joking. Remember? I promised not to be forceful!" he said, jumping off and going to the edge.

"You know, you will soon be coming after me. Your attitude won't last long." he said. "Are you sane?" she replied. "Oh I am. No one, not even those players seem to understand the true power of the FullDive technology, that by stimulating the Limbic System, you can alter thoughts, emotions and even memories!" he said. "What! You think you-" she retorted but he interrupted her "Who will stop me? Research like this is already done on multiple countries. But still, ethical and moral issues will arise if I experimented on Humans. But I found a solution! Ten thousand subjects!" he said, as she widened her eyes. "It was easy to use a router and capture three hundred of the ten thousand. And they have given me remarkable results! The progress of changing everything on the brain is almost complete! Kayaba was a fool, but I am not!" he yelled, laughing maniacally. "Impossible! Father wouldn't allow it! Never!" she yelled.

He went behind her "Your father doesn't know. It is a secret project, made by me and a small group. Otherwise, I couldn't market it." he said. "Market it?" she asked. He nodded " I will sell it to an American corporation for a large sum of money. And eventually I will sell RCT." he said. She rose "No! I will stop you! I will expose your crimes the moment I get out!" she said. He smirked "You know, you're in the same position as the test subjects. I could easily alter your memories." he said, smirking at her shocked look. However, he was stopped as a message popped up "Wait for my orders. I am coming." he said. "Still, I don't want you to be a doll. I expect you to be more docile next time, Titania." he said, sniffing her hair, before leaving. She fell on her knees, crying "Save me, Naruto-kun. Help me, my sweet Maelstrom." she whispered.

 _ **Next Day**_

Naruto was in his basement, hitting a punching bag. He was only wearing black shorts and bandages were wrapped around his fingers. He was growling, punching repeatedly. His body was slowly improving from it's standard form. His six packs became more defined, while the muscles of his arms and back became bigger and stronger, as veins run along his biceps. He was waiting for someone to send him a report, as it was important for work and he couldn't log on ALO without reading it. He roared, punching the bag one last time panting. Grabbing his bottle of water, he drank it, looking around the room.

The basement was a large rectangle, as big as the house itself in length and width. It was painted a beige colour, while one big wall was covered with white wallpaper. Cylinder nails in equal distance layed on the wall, forming fifteen lines of four double nails. Three lines were covered in swords and medieval weapons, while the rest of the nails were empty, except one which had a Five-Seven on it. Opposite of that wall, was a large stand. On top of it laid different machines. On the wall, were tools, ranging from screwdrivers and wrenches, to hammers and buzzsaws. One small wall had a table, with a new improved computer. It had eight small screens in a Pi Shape, with the middle holding a large curved screen. A mechanical keyboard and mouse were on the table, along with a computer drawing pad. On the right, was a scanner and printer, while the left had a small cupboard with flash drives, CD's and transportable hard drives. Next to the cupboard, was a laptop. The other small wall had the punching back, a horizontal bar, a bench press and a treadmill. He heard a ching and placed the water bottle down, going to the computer and seeing the report. Taking five minutes, he confirmed it and sent instructions on the next part of the Project. He then placed a Tank Top and connected to ALO.

 _ **Freelia**_

Naruto opened his eyes, looking at the city of Freelia once again. He looked at himself and frowned "I need better equipment. Yui!" he called, her as she appeared "Hi Papa! What is up?" she asked. "Where is the best Neutral City?" he asked. "Well, it is Alne, which is where the World Tree is located and it is East of here." she said. He nodded, going to a tall building and outstretching his wings "Off we go!" he said, flying high in the air.

As he was flying however, he saw a large group of Salamanders quickly approaching him. He narrowed his eyes, as one sent a fireball his way. Dodging, he increased his speed, quickly appearing above one and slamming his sword on his head, killing him. He dodged a sword, kicking a guy away, before turning and slicing another's throat. He ducked under a fireball, slicing another in half, before rushing and piercing a mage. He then threw his blade at another, connecting to a mage's stomach. He then rushed and grabbed it, dodging three fireballs from the remaining mages, before he tore the blade off the dying Fairy's torso, forming a diagonal slash on a shield, cutting it in half, before slicing again and killing the man. He then rushed, jumping over two fireballs and slicing one in half, as he pierced the middle mage, before tearing his blade from the body and twisting his body in a full circle, cutting in half the remaining two mages. He turned, seeing one of the remaining two Salamanders rushing at him, as he simply sheathed his sword. The moment he was near, he drew it and in a fast motion, he sliced his head in half. He then turned to the last, who tried flying away, only for Naruto to grab him and throw him downwards with enough force that he slammed into the ground. "Ow…" the Salamander groaned, seeing Naruto dropping to the ground.

Naruto grabbed him "Now, I have a proposition for you. I shall give you all the money and items I took from your teammates, if you tell me why you attacked me." he said. "If not, I will kill you." He said. The Salamander nodded "Well, I got a message from Tora, the leader of the mage group you took down, asking me to get online. He said we would go hunt down the one who killed the team of Hiro, the Captain of the Axe group. He was hunting Cait Sith, when a Spriggan exactly like you killed his teammates. When we saw you from afar, we attacked immediately." he said. "And why attack me?" he asked. "Well, they don't tell anything to me, as I am an underling, but it came from the higher ups and it was a big reason. Before we left, a massive army flew up north." he said. Naruto narrowed his eyes "Are you attempting to clear Yggdrasil with it?" he asked. The Salamander shook his head "No, we're saving enough to get every man Ancient-class or higher gear first. That is all I know." he said "Will you keep your end of the bargain?" he asked. Naruto's response was dropping on him all the money and items, before leaving.

 _ **World Tree**_

Sugou and Asuna were on the birdcage on top of the World Tree. Sugou was lying on the bed, as Asuna was next to him, to her annoyance. "Honestly, you're a stubborn woman. It's only a fake body. Why not have a little fun with it? It won't hurt." he said. She huffed "It doesn't matter if it's a fake body or not to me. You would not understand." she said. "What? It would defile you? Honestly, you should learn to have fun while you still can." he said. "I won't stay here forever. I am sure. He will save me." she said. He rose "Oh, the one I think is called, Maelstrom?" he asked, as she widened her eyes. "To be honest, I have no idea who he is. This 'Ultimate Gamer' and 'Hero of SAO' is a complete mystery. Everything regarding private information was masked and with high security, too high even for me. In reality, when I tried to break it, it almost broke MY security!" he laughed "Still, I wish I knew him real life. I would send him an invitation to our wedding!" He said, rising. "I shall leave you for a while Titania. And so you know, I bet the brat will never put on his NerveGear again!" he said, activating the code and exiting the room. '11,3,2,9.' She thought, seeing the code from the reflection, as she rose from the bed and went to the edge of the cage 'I know you're alive Naruto-kun. And I know you will come from me.' she thought, holding her chest.

 _ **Alne**_

Alne, the city at the foot of Yggdrasil. It was a beautiful city, made of stone and wood, thousands of lights illuminating it. It was divided in five zones, North, South, East, West and Central. Naruto was at the North part, coming out of a Weapon Shop. He had changed his jacket with a steel Chestplate, while also grabbing steel vambraces. Finally, a new sword hanged from his back. It was an enormous Nodachi, called **Monohoshi Zao**. It was 60 inches long, made of steel and it had no guard, the handle wrapped in blue cloth. He hanged it behind his back, as he looked up towards the World Tree with narrowed eyes.

However, a message suddenly popped up on his screen from Argo. 'Ruto-baka, I need your help! Come to this location and fast! If you come and help the Cait Sith and the Sylph against the Salamanders, I can give you a way to reach the top of the World Tree!" it read, as his eyes widened. Narrowing his eyes, he opened a map he purchased and marked the location, as he saw a circle appearing on his bottom, with a green arrow pointing up. He went to the highest building, looking one more time to the World Tree 'Hold on Asuna. I shall come soon.' he said, before flying away.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! So, Naruto became a Spriggan, met Yui again, killed Salamanders and, boom! Argo is here! I was reading about the Cait Sith, before I encountered Argo's non-canon ALO character, so I am like 'Let's add this!'. And I added Naruto a new weapon. It is Assassin's sword from Fate/Stay Night. It was recommended for the Dual Wielding, but it is simply too long to be used in Dual Wielding, so I used it for ALO for as long as Naruto uses a single sword. He won't use Dual Wielding until much later. And as you can see, next Chapter we go to war with Salamanders! Weee! And if all goes well, Naruto will reach the World Tree after the next Chapter! Stay tuned, for the next Chapter of Naruto: The Shadow Blade Z!... Fuck I am not funny at all. Oh well, until next time, Thunderito out!**

 **PS: I got a Twitter account now, because a person who knows who he is asked me too and I considered it a good idea. Anyways, for updates regarding new stories, chapters and stuff in general, along with asking questions, feel free to check that out too! It's Thunderito or Thunderito9. I have my FF Profile pic. Later!**


	12. Chapter 12:Storm the Tree

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter twelve of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features Naruto and his fight with the Salamanders, not to mention the Raid. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 12: Storm the Tree**

 _ **Butterfly Valley**_

The Butterfly Valley. A beautiful part of land, with lush forests, cliffs and waterfalls from clean rivers. It is a neutral area and the place the Cait Sith and Sylph decided to stage their negotiation talks regarding an alliance. Near the edge of a cliff, was a large white table were the Sylph and Cait Sith were supposed to have their talk. But they were stopped, courtesy of a large Salamander Army. In front of the Cait Sith and Sylph Guards stood Argo, Leafa, Kirito and the Two Leaders. Leafa was a Sylph, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail by a hairband and emerald green eyes. She wore white and green clothes, with brown leather boots and had a Curved Blade at her side. Kirito was a Spriggan with spiky black hair and coal black eyes. He wore pure black like always and had a large steel greatsword strapped on his back. The leader of the Sylph was Sakuya. She was tall, with dark green, almost black hair that fell down her back. Her eyes were an almond colour and her skin was white. She wore green japanese clothing,with a Katana strapped behind her back. She also wore white socks and wooden sandals. The leader of the Cait Sith was Alicia Rue. She was short, with blonde hair, gold eyes and dark skin. She wore black boots with white stockings, a beige short dress and a gold cape with a red stripe covering her left arm. Opposite of them, was the Salamander Leader, who was General Eugene. He was tall and muscular, with purplish-red, flame like hair and purple eyes. He wore heavy blood-red armour and a gold open ring decorated his head.

Kirito was currently standing forward, opposite of Eugene. "My name is Kirito and I am an ambassador of the Spriggan-Undine alliance. Since you're attacking the Sylph and Cait Sith conference, I assume you want a full war against all four races?" he asked, as everyone listened surprised. "Spriggans allied with Undines and you who lack a proper escort are their ambassador?" asked Eugene. "Indeed I am. I am here to discuss trading proposals with the Sylph and Cait Sith. But if you attack, matters will be escalated and our four races will unite in a war against you. Is that what you want?" he asked. General Eugene simply took out his blade, the **Demonic Sword Gram** "I do not believe a man with such poor equipment." he said. "Then will you believe a man of the same status as you?" a voice said.

Everyone turned, as Naruto appeared out of thin air, the light around him retracting, indicating he was hiding under an illusion "I am Naruto, General of the Spriggans." said Naruto, giving Kirito a look. Kirito, understanding his plan, slammed his fist on his chest "Welcome, General Naruto. But what are you doing here?" he asked. Naruto walked next to him "I learned the news of these attack the same time as you. But at the chances of an attack, an ambassador is not enough. And when word reached our ears General Eugene himself would be here, the superiors decided to send me. Now, I have a proposition for you." said Naruto, turning to Eugene. "Oh. And that is?" he asked. "Simple. We duel one on one. I win, you and your army leave. You win, feel free to attack." he said confidently. Eugene narrowed his eyes 'His confidence, the look in his eyes and his composure, even his equipment. He is a man of combat.' he thought. Eugene flew high in the air "I at least take you more of what you claim to be than the other Spriggan. So be it." he said. Naruto flew high in the air and unsheathed his sword.

"This won't end well. That is the Demonic Sword Gram. And it requires a wielding skill of at least 950." said Sakuya. "950?!" exclaimed Leafa, getting a nod. Kirito smirked, crossing his arms "Naruto has taken worse odds and won without breaking a sweat." he said. Argo laughed "Yea. Ruto-baka will be fine, if he is still as good as he was." Alicia raised her eyebrow "How are you guys so confident at him?" she asked. "Ruto-baka is Maelstrom, the Ultimate MMORPG and general Gamer." she said, to the group's shock. Kirito nodded "And he is also the best swordsman you have ever seen. He is the only person in the world who has taken down over 50 Bosses, all by himself and then fought each one again daily." he said, to their increased shock.

Eugene rushed at Naruto, who raised his sword to block, only for Gram to pass through it and slam Naruto, sending him crashing to a pile of rocks. Eugene smirked, though he was surprised when Naruto stood only a few feet away "Interesting ability." he said. Eugene smirked "I'm surprised you're still alive." he replied. Naruto smirked and chanted a spell. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, multiple Naruto's appeared "You know, Spriggans are so underestimated. The lesser minds think illusions are useless in combat. That's a mistake. Any magic can have a use in combat. All that it takes is to think." he said, as all Naruto's smirked. Eugene frowned "You're a fool!" he said, going to slice the Naruto from which all the Illusion's came from, only to disappear in smoke, to his shock. All the Naruto's started laughing, surrounding Eugene. Suddenly, the General felt pain, as a slash wound appeared on his side. He growled, attacking one Naruto, only to puff in smoke. He then felt another, going at his back. Roaring, he started attacking every Naruto in the vicinity, as more slice wounds appeared throughout his body. He killed them all in a minute, as he was on the red. "DAMN YOU!" he roared, as a torrent of flame coursed through the sky. However, to his shock, he saw Naruto appear in the air, chanting a spell and transforming into a Monster which looked like a ballista. The monster fired a large arrow and disappeared in smoke, as the arrow pierced through Eugene. However, the arrow puffed and Naruto appeared behind Eugene. With a roar, he swung his sword, slicing Eugene in half, who exploded in a blast of flames, as his Remain Light fell to the ground.

Everyone stayed silent, before cheers coursed through the air, as the Sylph and Cait Sith congratulated him, while the Salamanders clapped in acknowledgement of his skill. Naruto came to the ground, grabbed Eugene's spark and flew to the group. "Can someone revive him?" he asked, as Sakuya nodded and revived him. Eugene rose, stretching his muscles "That was incredible. You're the greatest fighter I have seen in my life. No doubt about that. To think the Spriggans had such a man." he said, as Naruto smirked. "So, will you honor the duel's result?" he asked. Eugene narrowed his eyes, until two soldiers appeared in front of him "Kagemune, Hiro. What is it?" asked Eugene. Kagemune spoke "As you know, my party was killed yesterday. It was by that Ambassador Spriggan, who I recall had an Undine with him." he said. "And my group was killed by that one, who protected a Cait Sith." Hiro said. Eugene thought for a few moments, then turned to Naruto "Our leader and I do not wish to fight the Spriggans or the Undines. We shall take our leave, but I expect a duel in the future." Naruto smirked "Count on it." he said, as they shook hands.

Naruto and Kirito stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the sunset, as Sakuya dealt with the traitor, with Alicia's help. "Can't believe you joined ALO." said Naruto. Kirito grinned "I couldn't just let you go after Asuna all by yourself." he said. Naruto frowned "How thoughtful. But I am still nowhere near my goal." he said. Kirito rose "I wouldn't bet on that. Come." he said. They went to the group, as Leafa looked at Naruto in surprise "Hey. Who is this Kirito? Got a girlfriend?" he asked with a grin as Leafa blushed. "No! It's nothing like that! We're just friends! Leafa, meet my friend Naruto. Naruto, meet my friend Leafa." he said, as they shook hands. "Naruto, huh? You have the same name as my cousin's friend." she said. Naruto raised an eyebrow "Is your cousin Kazuto?" he asked, as she nodded with a raised eyebrow. Naruto barely contained his laughter, as he pointed to Kirito "That's your cousin." he said in a cracking voice. Leafa widened her eyes, turning to Kirito who gulped at her murderous look "KIRITO!" She roared, as they started to fight, with Naruto silently slipping away.

As he walked off, he saw Argo. He walked behind her and grabbed her by the back of her neck, causing her to yelp and he rose her to the air "Now, midget. What was this about knowing a way to Yggdrasil?" he asked. She smiled, sweat dripping from her head "Come on Ruto-kun, put me down please." she begged. He dropped her down, crossing his arms. "Well, these are the leaders of the Sylph and the Cait Sith. They prepared an alliance to clear Yggdrasil. And I am sure they would love for you to join them." she said, as the two women nodded. Naruto nodded "When will you start?" he asked. Sakuya frowned "Well, we need a lot of money, to buy the necessary equipment." she said. Naruto complied by throwing a large bag. Alicia caught it, only to widen her eyes "T-These are ten million mithril coins!" she yelled. Sakuya turned to him "You sure you want to give them? You could buy a castle with these!" she exclaimed. He shook his head "Do you need more? How many do you need, if we are to go tomorrow?" he asked. She frowned "About half this-" she yelped, as he threw another bag with the same amount of coins "Will that suffice?" he asked, as she nodded. "Good. Tomorrow, you pick a time and we will storm Yggdrasil." he said, as they nodded. Smiling, they took the money and left.

Naruto turned to Leafa and Kirito, who were still fighting. Sighing, he yelled "Ey! Listen you two!" he said, as they turned to him. He turned to Leafa "Suguha, I know you're mad your cousin joined this world after he was trapped in one for two years. But you do not understand his feelings. For him, this world is everything. And for a while, it was for me. If you care for your cousin, support his decision." he said, as she looked down. He then turned to Kirito "And you. I understand the feelings you have for this world. But you should have told your cousin. She cares for you a lot." he said, as they both looked at each other. "I'm sorry."Said Kirito. Leafa nodded "I am sorry as well." Naruto smiled, clapping his hands "Good. Now, today let us go grab gear. Tomorrow, we storm Yggdrasil!" he exclaimed, as they happily nodded.

 _ **Birdcage**_

Asuna rose from her bed, looking around. Silently, she walked towards the gate and added the password. She smirked, as the birdcage opened and she escaped. She started walking through a path on one of the branches, until she found a metal door on the body of the tree. She placed her hand on a red panel, as it glowed green and the door opened. She saw a tunnel illuminated by yellow lights. She walked for a while, wondering how far it went, until she saw what appeared to be a guide map on the wall. Looking at it, she saw a room for experiments and remembered Sugou's talk of capturing three hundred SAO members. Nodding to herself, she made her way inside the room.

Inside, she saw hundreds of metal cylinders with virtual blue cubes above them. As she walked around, she realised there were brains inside the cubes. To her shock, she remembered Sugou's words of controlling emotions. She placed her hand on her mouth, as tears flowed from her eyes 'They're suffering!' she thought. She walked over to one 'I will get you out soon. And I promise, he won't get away with this.' she said. However, she heard the doors open and she quickly hid behind a cylinder. Inside, entered two pink slime-like creatures with tentacles and orange eyes. They began checking each brain, as she quickly moved from cylinder to cylinder, getting away from their location. She saw a black cube and made her way to it. She saw a card and activated it, sighing in happiness it's a game console. She searched around, until she found the Logout button. Smiling, she went to press it, only to scream in fear, as four tentacles grabbed her wrists and ankles, pulling her to the air.

" **Who are you?** " asked one of the slugs. "Put me down! I am Sugou's friend and he gave me permission to have a look around!" she said. " **Oh? I don't remember that**." said Slime1. " **Doesn't ring a bell…. Wait. You're that girl! The one boss keeps locked up in Yggdrasil!** " said Slime2. " **Ah I remember that. It's unfair for the boss to keep such a cute girl.** " said the other slime. "Let me go monsters! Don't you realise what you do here is inhumane!" she asked. " **Nah. I think it's more humane than sticking electrodes up an animal's brain.** " he replied. " **Go check to see what the boss wants us to do with her.** " he said, as the other nodded " **Don't do anything.** " he said, logging out.

"Let me go!" she yelled. " **Why? It's been a while since I had fun with a real thing. I have only been using dolls. Let's play a game with electrodes!** " he said, as to her horror, he started wrapping his tentacles all around her. The moment he went to place one on her mouth, she bit on it hard, as he roared in pain. He took it off forcefully " **I forgot to disable pain.** " he moaned. " **The boss says to put her back to the bird, change the code and survey her constantly. He is furious.** " the slug logged back, as the other groaned " **Alright. Let's go.** " he said. None of them noticed Asuna grabbing the Console Card. As they placed her back on the cage, changed the code and left, she went at the edge of the cage. She closed her eyes 'Please Naruto-kun. Find this!' she said, throwing the card to the ground.

 _ **Yggdrasil**_

Yggdrasil, the world tree. Today, was the day it would be cleared. The Sylph and the Cait Sith Army, equipped with the finest gear thanks to Naruto, along with flying dragons, stood outside the gate leading to Yggdrasil, which was between two enormous stone Knights. Naruto, Kirito and Leafa made their way there, equipped with gear purchased by Kirito. However, as they made their way, Naruto noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Going to an alley, he saw something glowing in the ground. He picked it up "A card?" he asked, as Yui appeared "Papa, you think Mama dropped this?" she asked, as he raised an eyebrow "Why you say that?". "This card has an Administration Code. We can use it to access a GM console." she explained. Naruto looked up towards the Yggdrasil's branches, a frown on his face. "Just a little longer, Asuna-chan. I will be there. I promise." he said. He pocketed the card, as he approached the gate. "Let's do this." he said, as they opened the gate.

They entered Yggdrasil's inner part, which was a hollow cone made of roots, with crystals all over it. From the crystals, hundreds of thousands of Guardian Knights appeared, armed with swords or bows. "All units charge!" yelled Sakuya. The army of Sylphs and Cait Sith roared, charging the approaching Knights. And an all out war resumed. While guardians used their bows and overwhelming numbers, the Fairies used the dragon's fire breath and magic. Naruto was slashing each Knight in his way to the top of the tower, while Kirito and Leafa were behind him, fighting like a team. Naruto slashed through each and every enemy, as thousands of explosions rocked around him. He stopped and pointed his palm upwards, chanting a spell. He finished, as a massive beam of light flew from his arm, as each Guardian caught by it hit himself, suiciding, clearing a large part of them. However, more and more started appearing. Naruto grabbed his sword and roared, ascending high in the air, spinning like a tornado. "Cait Sith, Fire Breath!" said Alicia, as Leafa formed a defensive spell around Naruto. The fires hit him, but thanks to the spell, only the barrier caught fire. "Sylph! Boost!" yelled Sakuya, as a green aura surrounded Naruto, whose eyes flicked red for a second, before roaring and crashing with the Guardians, piercing through them like a hot knife through butter. "GO! NARUTO!" yelled Kirito and Leafa. Naruto roared, passing each Knight, stabbing the top of the Tree, as the Knights cleared the hole. Sakuya smirked "All units fall back!" she said. Kirito looked at Naruto's position one last time, as Leafa told them not to leave Alne until the quest was over. 'Finish this, Naruto.' he said, leaving.

Naruto looked at the top of the World Tree, as a circular stone door was below him and a cloud like substance above him. "What now!" he roared, stabbing Zao on the door, trying to open it. Growling, he took it off "Yui! Check the door!" he said, as she came and touched it. "Papa… this door isn't locked by a quest flag. It is locked by an admin code." She said. Naruto's eyes widened, as Knights appeared. Suddenly, he remembered something, taking out the card "Use this!" he said, as she nodded and grabbed the card "Transferring code!" she said. The door glowed, before opening, as light surrounded them. "Grab my hand Papa! We will be teleported!" she said, as he grabbed it. 'I'm coming Asuna!' he thought, before disappearing.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! So, Naruto saved Sylph and Cait Sith, caused a temporary fight between siblings and stormed Yggdrasil! Nice! To avoid this question, I didn't have Leafa feel love for Kirito, just adoration. That is easier to change around. Just so you know, Kirito will go with Sinon, since people keep asking. And next chapter, will be the end of the First SAO Anime. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	13. Chapter 13:The Fall of a False King

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter thirteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features Naruto and his reunion. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 13: The Fall of a False King**

 _ **World Tree Branches**_

Naruto and Yui were teleported in a cylinder-shaped tunnel, illuminated by yellow lights. "Here Papa!" said Yui, running through the tunnels, Naruto following her. "Push!" she said after placing the code on a metal door, as Naruto kicked it, hard. They passed from the tunnels into the branches of Yggdrasil. Naruto widened his eyes, seeing Alne thousands of feet below. "So this is the World Tree huh…" he said, then looked up. Seeing only leaves, he growled "Floating city my ass. Grand Quest my ass. I will kill that bastard." Naruto said, clenching his teeth. However, he felt a hand on his arm, as he looked at Yui. He smiled "Do not worry. Asuna comes first. Let's go!" he said, as she nodded happily. They started running on the pathway on the branch, looking at the Birdcage on the other end, where a familiar figure was seen, causing them to speed up.

Asuna was sitting on a stand in front of the bed, her face buried in a pillow, when she heard a cry. Standing up in surprise, she saw Naruto and Yui outside the birdcage. Yui cried out "Mama!" before breaking the door and rushing at her. Asuna quickly hugged her "Yui-chan!" she exclaimed, tears falling from her eyes. The mother and daughter hugged each other with tears, as Naruto slowly walked inside. Asuna looked up "Naruto-kun." she said. He approached her, hugging them both "I am sorry for not coming sooner, Asuna-chan." he said, as she shook her head "It is alright, I believed in you." she said, rubbing his cheek. "Yui-chan, can we free Mama now?" he asked. Yui shook her head "Mama is protected by complicated codes. We need a GM Console for that." she said. Asuna tilted her head "I saw one in the-" she was about to say lab, until she saw Naruto turning quickly, unsheathing his sword. Suddenly, all three of them fell to the ground, an overwhelming force bringing them to their knees. Naruto tried to raise himself, when he saw purple electricity surrounding Yui. "Yui-chan!" both Naruto and Asuna exclaimed. "Be careful, something… dark…. is coming." she said, before vanishing, as the birdcage transformed in a black floor with a yellow circle in the middle. Naruto went for Asuna's hand, but the force increased.

"Ain't this a surprise? A rat found it's way to my bird's nest." a voice said. Naruto turned at the voice, his face angry "You're… Sugou, aren't you?" he asked. Sugou smirked "That's not my name here. Here, I am the Fairy King Oberon!" he yelled, kicking Naruto's stomach. "Naruto-kun!" said Asuna, as he growled. "Now, you can't lift a finger eh? This is gravity magic, for the next update, but it does seem a bit overpowered." he said. "So, how did you get up here? I saw a strange program earlier." Sugou said, picking up Naruto's blade. Naruto looked up at him in defiance. "No matter. I will find the answer by questioning your mind." he said. "My… mind?" Naruto said, feeling the gravity slowly rise. "Why yes! You think I created this on a whim? This was made so I could experiment on 300 SAO players in peace! And thanks to their cooperation, the ability to control the emotions and memories is 80% complete! The ultimate power, the power of a God, the power to directly control the Human Soul is mine! Thank you Virtual World!" he yelled, laughing maniacally.

"You won't get away with this! Never!" said Asuna. Oberon pointed his sword at her "And who will stop me? There is no God in this world, other than me!" he yelled. Stabbing Zao on the ground, he raised his arms in the air "Now, before I alter your souls, let's have some fun!" he yelled, clapping his hands, as two chains fell to the ground, with large gold rings on their ends. He grabbed Asuna's hands and placed them inside the gold rings, then with a clap, the gold rings constricted around Asuna's wrists, as the chains lifted her up. Naruto looked at Asuna's form in surprise, while Sugou was grinning maniacally "Perfect! I love that expression! You can't get this from an NPC!" He said. He then started touching her face and sniffing her hair "What a great scent. It proved to be a challenge to reproduce it. I hope you appreciate the trouble I went through to get an analyzer to your hospital room." he grinned. "Stop it!" said Naruto, rising slowly along with his anger. Sugou grabbed the blade, turning to him "Now. The audience must be quiet!" he roared, slicing Naruto's legs, forcing him back to the ground, before stabbing his sword at his spine, as Naruto roared. "System Command: Pain Absorber Level 8." he said, as Naruto felt more pain. "Do you like the pain? Be careful, because at Level 3 and below, it affects your real body. And I will slowly drop it there, so have fun." he said, going back to Asuna. "Don't worry Kirito-kun. He can't hurt me." she smiled at him, before glaring at Sugou's grin.

"That's it! How long can you keep that up? Thirty minutes? An hour? Keep your defiance as long as you can!" he yelled, tearing away Asuna's upper clothing. He then started laughing, going behind her "You know what I am thinking now? After pleasuring myself here, I will go to the hospital room you're in. Then, after I leave a monitor with this running, I will pleasure myself there, with your real body." he said, cackling maniacally at her fearful expression. "You bastard! I will kill you!" he roared, as Sugou licked Asuna's tears "Sweet." he said, before laughing and setting the Pain Absorber to Level 5. Naruto screamed in pain, as Sugou kept laughing and molesting Asuna. He could feel his eyes darkening, as he held his hand out to Asuna.

He found himself laying down in an empty white room. "I thought I was invincible in this world. I thought I could save Asuna myself. I failed." he said to himself, crying. "So you give up?" a voice said. "I am accepting the reality." he replied. "So you surrender." the voice said. "And what choice do I have? I cannot beat a Game Master." he replied. "Those words disgrace our battle. The battle where you overcame the system. The battle where you opened my eyes to the possibilities of the future." the voice said again. Naruto looked up "Heathcliff?" he asked. "Get up Naruto. Get up." Kayaba said, disappearing, after dropping two transparent cubes.

Sugou started touching Asuna's legs, going slowly up her thighs, when Naruto spoke "The blades of that world hurt more. They weighted far more and hurt far more!" he yelled, rising to his feet, as Zao dropped to the ground. "I guess there are a few bugs left!" said Sugou, going to Naruto's spot and attempted to slap him, only for Naruto to catch his fist in surprise. "System Login: ID Heathcliff." said Naruto, as screens appeared around. "What? Whose ID is that?" asked Sugou, taking a few steps back. "System Command: Change Administrator Authorities: Set ID Oberon to Level 1." he said. Sugou's eyes widened in surprise "What! An ID that outranks mine? Impossible! I am the ruler of this world! The creator! I am GOD!" he roared. "You're not a God! You stole this world! You attempt to reign on top of a ruined throne!" Naruto yelled, the gravity field disappearing. "Y-You brat! How dare you! Speak like that! To me!" he said, raising his hand "System Command: Generate Object ID Excaliber!" he yelled, only nothing happened. "Obey me you junk! These are the God's orders!" he roared. Naruto in response, smirked "System Command: Generate Object ID Excaliber!" he said, as light appeared and the sword dropped to the ground. "So with a mere command you can spawn a legendary weapon." he said. He then clicked his hands, as Asuna's clothing was restored and the chains disappeared. "System Command: Teleport ID Titania to ID Kirito." he said, as Asuna disappeared. "System Command Creation: Mark from X: -1245 to X:1245, Y:0 to Y: 5000, Z: 1356 to Z;-1356. System Code: Burn Yggdrasil. System Result: Everything inside marked zone set to Burn status. Additional Following Commands: Trigger Grand Solo Quest. Name: The Fall of a False King. Object: Kill ID Oberon. Result: Permanently Ban ID Oberon. " he said, as Sugou widened his eyes. "System Command: Teleport Experiment Room at Y: 10000." he said, before raising his arm "System Command: Burn Yggdrasil!" he roared.

 _ **Alne**_

Kirito, Leafa and Argo were in front of the gate of Yggdrasil, waiting for Naruto. "You think he is alright? Leafa asked. "Of course he is." said Argo "Ruto-kun will be fine." she replied. However, to their surprise, a blue light appeared in front of them, as Asuna stood there in surprise. "Asuna!" yelled Kirito, hugging her, as she hugged him in return, smiling "Kirito-kun." she said with a smile. He let go "Where is Naruto?" he asked, before noticing Asuna's expression turning to one of shock. Suddenly, they heard cries coming from the people in Alne. Turning up, to their surprise, they saw the Guardian Statues in front of the gate crumbling, as Yggdrasil caught on fire. "W-What is going?" asked Leafa, when a part of the tree exploded, as a screaming Sugou crashed to the ground. He moaned in pain, as Naruto jumped to the ground, an icy-cold look in his eyes. He threw Zao away, before walking towards Sugou, who stumbled back "Stay away!" he screamed. Naruto cracked his knuckles "You think you're the God of this world?" he said, cracking his neck "There is no longer a God, for I defeated him. And I will take you down as well, but not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because you dared hurt the one I cherish the most. And the price for that will be nothing less but you on my knees, begging for death like a dog!" he yelled, as Sugou's face had a mix of terror and fury. "But while there is no God, there are owners. And those are the 10000 SAO players, whether alive or dead. And for them, I will show no mercy. For the three hundred of them you experimented on, I will show no mercy. For the 6000 who are alive and wait for the nightmare to finally end, I will show no mercy. And for the 4000 who are dead and want peace at last, I WILL SHOW NO MERCY!" he roared out. He raised his arm "System Login: ID… Maelstrom." he said.

To everyone's shock, blue lightning crackled around Naruto's form as he started glowing. His entire body became white, before the light disappeared. In the place of a Spriggan, stood Naruto's SAO Avatar, wearing the exact same clothes and having the exact same items. However, he had pointy ears like a fairy. He opened his eyes and as they changed from blue to red, he spoke "Activate Unique Skill: Awaken the Sleeping Dragon." he said, as a pillar of flames covered Naruto's form. It danced in the sky, before to everyone's shock, the fire molded into a dragon. The dragon roared, as in it's bottom stood Naruto. He now had two Dragon Wings on his back, a Dragon Tail coming from his stomach and two horns in his head, his red eyes now having slits. "System Command: Set Pain Absorber to ID Oberon and ID Maelstrom to Level -3." He said. Sugou widened his eyes "You're insane!" he yelled. Naruto slowly walked forward, the dragon looking ready to pounce "Do not run away. That man did not. Kayaba Akihiko didn't run away." he said. Sugou clenched his teeth "Kayaba! I see! The first ID was his! Why do you keep standing in my way!" he yelled maniacally. "Sugou. You're pathetic. Wanting to be someone you're not." he said. Sugou roared, charging at him "Damn you!" he yelled.

Sugou swung Excaliber at him, only for Naruto to duck and punch his stomach, before he elbowed his face. Sugou stumbled back, screaming "It hurts!" he yelled. "It hurts? You dare, after all you did to Asuna, TELL ME THAT IT HURTS?" he roared, slamming his fist into his gut, before kneeing his head. Sugou fell to the ground, only for Naruto to grab him from the head, before repeatedly punching his ribs, following with an instant Lariat on his neck. Sugou cried, as he fell to the ground, before Naruto jumped on him and planted both of his knees on his stomach, causing his screams to be heard throughout all of Alne. He grabbed one arm and twisted it, breaking the bones and causing Sugou to scream louder, which was music in Naruto's ears. He then cracked his other arm, before going to each leg, as Sugou was a whimpering mess by the time he was done. "Don't think we're done." said Naruto, grabbing him by the throat "We're done when you're dead!" he roared, throwing him in the air. Yamato and Juuchi Yosamu appeared in his arms, feintly glowing red, as he jumped high into the air, at speeds that passed Sugou. The moment he passed him, he cut off both of his arms, then the moment he fell, Naruto teleported to the ground, as his two legs fell. He then looked up, raising both of his swords, stabbing Sugou's eyes, before in a swift motion he beheaded him. Then, the dragon jumped and bit Sugou's dead body, before roaring, flames leaving his mouth.

Naruto panted, as his form vanished, before turning to the surprised looks of the four. He approached Asuna and kneeled besides her. In a swift motion, he hugged her, tears falling from their eyes. "I am sorry for not coming sooner." Naruto whispered, as she shook her head "It's alright. I believed in you." she said. He smiled "Now, it's nighttime, but I will be at your hospital room." he said, as a panel appeared. "I can finally see you. The real you." she said, as he nodded. She traced her hand over the button "I can't believe it's over. We're finally gonna return. Back to the real world." she said, as he nodded "I'll show you how much it changed. And I will get you anywhere you desire." he said, as she nodded, touching the button and disappearing.

Naruto sighed, before rising and looking at the three. "Thank you very much. Leafa, Argo, Kirito. I wouldn't have come here without you." he said. Argo smirked "It's nothing Ruto-kun. This one is free." she said grinning. Leafa smirked "I still wanna fight you in Kendo again." said Leafa, as he nodded. He then approached Kirito, shaking hands with him "Thank you, my friend." he said with a smile, as Kirito nodded "Go. Find your happiness pal." he said, as Naruto nodded. He turned away, before disappearing.

 _ **Experiment Room**_

However, instead of returning home, he teleported to the experiment room. He activated a panel, releasing all 300 SAO players. He sighed "One more thing to do." he said, before looking up "Kayaba." he called out. Kayaba appeared "It has been a while Naruto-kun." he said. Naruto tilted his head "And what are you?" he asked. "Well, I am not alive, but I am not dead. I am an echo of Kayaba's consciousness, an afterimage." he replied, walking towards Naruto. "Well, that's interesting. You have my thanks." he said. "That's not needed. The ID's are your reward for overcoming the system. But me helping you, that is not something for free. There is a price." he said, as a glowing orange orb appeared on Naruto's hand. "What is this?" he asked. "This is the origin of worlds. 'The Seed'. Once it blooms, you will understand it's purpose. You can do whatever you want with it. Delete it, forget it. But if you have any feelings other than hatred for Aincrad, well…" he said, letting the words hang. "Now, I will be off. Until we meet again, Naruto-kun." he said, disappearing in a bright light. Naruto looked around, before destroying the Experiment Room with a command and appearing back to where he first came into this world.

"Yui. You alright?" he asked, as she appeared and hugged him. "Papa! You're alright!" she yelled. He smiled "And so are you. Thank god." he said. She nodded "I took refuge in your Nervegear, where my core program is stored. But where is Mama?" she asked, her expression turning to one of curiosity. "She is back. Back to the real world." he said. "Really? I am so glad." she said, smiling. He nodded "Now, I must be off to see Mama. We will both see you later, alright sweetie?" he asked, as she nodded. He kissed her cheek, before vanishing.

 _ **Real World**_

Naruto opened his eyes, taking off his NerveGear. He rushed to his wardrobe, grabbing an all black outfit, along with his M9 berreta, before going to the garage and lighting up his bike. He quickly sped up, rushing away to Asuna's hospital. He reached it in a short time, as he parked the bike and started running to the entrance. However, he had to jump back and dodge a narrow slash to his head from a knife, which cut his cheek slightly. Looking at the man, he narrowed his eyes "Sugou." he said, only to widen them at his form. Sugou's eyes were blood red, with veins surrounding them, while parts of his body were covered in black bruises. "Welcome Maelstrom. I am surprised you're Namikaze Naruto. But it doesn't matter. I will kill you. You are in my way!" he yelled, attempting to stab him, only for Naruto to dodge the stab, before grabbing his arm and twisting the wrist, as Sugou roared in pain, the knife falling, before he kneed his stomach and punched his cheek, dropping him to the ground. He then rose and planted his leg to his stomach, taking out his gun. "Don't blink." he said, looking at Sugou's terrified face. Naruto's arm started trembling, as he remembered all that Sugou did. Roaring, he pressed the trigger, however, he shot Sugou's side, missing his face by inches. "Go away. The law will judge you." he said, placing his gun back in his jacket. He walked away, as Sugou stood up. Growling, he picked up the knife and rushed at Naruto "You have no power here, you bastard!" he roared, thrusting the knife. However, Naruto swiftly turned, grabbing his arm and catching the knife. He sent a chop at his wrist, releasing the knife, before he stabbed Sugou right in the stomach. Sugou fell to his knees, as Naruto wiped the blood from his hand "Rot in hell." he said, going away.

Naruto made his way to Asuna's hospital room. He stepped inside, smiling as he saw her awake, looking at the window. He took a seat on her bed "Asuna-chan." he spoke. She turned, smiling at him and hugging him "Naruto-kun." she said. "It's over. The final battle is over." he said crying, as she slowly traced her finger over his cut. "I am sorry, I can't hear you properly. But I can understand what you're saying. It's over isn't it?" she asked, as he nodded. She smiled, wiping her tears "I am glad. I finally get to see you." she said. They let go, as she placed her hand on her head. "Nice to meet you. I am Yuuki Asuna. I am back Naruto-kun." she said happily. Naruto smiled "A pleasure. I am Namikaze Naruto. Welcome home Asuna-chan." he said. They then shared their first kiss in the real world, holding each other tightly. Naruto opened one of his eyes, looking outside the window. He saw himself and Asuna in SAO, smiling, before walking away, holding hands. He closed his eyes 'It's over.' he said for the last time.

 _ **4 Months Later**_

Four months had passed since Naruto saved Asuna. Sugou's crimes were discovered to the world by one of his employees, but he paid the price through his death by Naruto. Naruto would go to prison, if not for the fact he was part of the military and the videos showed he did it in self-defence, instead being placed on probation, staying in custody for a week, before paying a sum of money. Asuna's father retired and after some convincing from Naruto, his parent's took over RECT. The 300 trapped SAO players were back into society with no problems to their personality. The high school students who were trapped in SAO, were added to a special school for them. Naruto revealed his status as Maelstrom to the world, abandoning the red persona he created for the media.

Currently, Naruto was waiting outside the school for Asuna. He wore black jeans, red sneakers, a red shirt with a black flame and a black leather jacket. He was on top of his bike, two helmets on his side, waiting for Asuna to finish school. After a minute of the bell ringing, he saw Asuna running towards him in the school's uniform. He smirked "Aren't you excited." he said, as he giggled "Well, it's the party today sweetie." she said, kissing him. "Hop on." he said, putting on his helmet as she did the same. With a loud roar, the bike sped up, as they left a cloud of smoke behind them. "Naruto-kun. We got 20 minutes before the party. Can you take me for a ride?" she asked, as he nodded with a smirk. He drove her around the city, as she looked at some of the attractions, before making their way to the Dicey Cafe. On their way there, they talked about Kayaba and his apparent 'death'.

Knocking on the door of the Dicey Cafe, they were surprised to see Lisbeth. "Are we late?" asked Naruto, as she shook her head. "Nah. But the main guests should come last, so we told you to come later than intended." she smirked, dragging Naruto inside and placing him on the podium "Let's go everyone!" she said. " **Naruto, thank you for clearing Sword Art Online!** " said many voices together, shooting confetti at his blinking form. He could see Klein, the Fuurinkazan, Thinker, Yulier, Sasha, Yolko, Lisbeth, Silica, Argo, Agil, Suguha and Kirito. Lisbeth gave him a drink, before raising her glass "Cheers!" she said, as everyone followed her action.

Kirito sat on the stand "Bartender, a bourbon on rocks." he said, as Agil slided one over at him. Kirito took a sip "Oh, it's just oolong tea." he said. "Give me a real one." said Klein, sitting next to him, as Naruto sat next to him as well "Give me a Lemon Vodka." he said. "You sure you should drink Naruto, Klein? You have work after this." he said. Klein and Naruto took a sip "Like I'd go to work without a drink." they both said. "Oh right. I still can't believe you're Namikaze Naruto, Naruto." Klein said, as Naruto laughed. Thinker sat next to Naruto "Oh Thinker-san. It's been a while. Congratulations for marrying Yulier-san." he said, as Thinker smiled. "Well, it's been hard. Only recently did I feel capable of work again." he said. Klein rose "Great news! And I read Tomorrow's MMO!" he said. "Well, that's embarrassing. It doesn't have much content. With the way MMO's are now, no one cares of walkthroughs or tips." he said. "Oh, Agil. Can you check on the Seed?" Naruto asked. "Already did. Around fifty mirror servers exist. Downloads are at a hundred thousand. And over three hundred major servers are making use of it." he said, as they all looked at the results. Naruto smiled "We're still up for the afterparty right?" he asked. "Indeed. Tonight at eleven pm. We meet at the coordinates you gave." he said. They all nodded, cheering.

 _ **Yggdrasil City**_

Naruto, in his Spriggan character, was floating in mid-air, hundreds of feet away from Yggdrasil City. After his mother took over RECT they revived Alfheim using The Seed. And thanks to Naruto, not only was a city on top of Yggdrasil created, but peace existed between the races, thanks to Naruto's other persona, who took the role of the New King. Races battled for superiority through quests and a system of turf wars in a special island. But, now was time for the greatest event.

Naruto felt a number of presences behind him. Turning, he smiled, looking at Asuna as an Undine, Kirito, Leafa, Agil, Lisbeth, Silica, Argo, Klein and all their friends from SAO coming as Fairies. "Why are we here?" Leafa asked, as Naruto pointed up. They all looked up, widening their eyes in surprise. There, the moon was darkening, as an enormous structure appeared. The structure was set in place, glowing with a thousand lights orbs. "Aincrad… how?" said Leafa. "I found the data for it and with my mother's help, I added it to Alfheim. I intent to conquer it all. All 100 floors." he said, as Yui appeared. "Come on Papa. The rest are coming!" she said. Naruto grinned, taking out a new Katana, called **Kusanagi**. "Let's go!" he yelled, as everyone roared, flying, with a thousand elves following them.

 **Done! Oh the feels! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I sure hope you did, after all, I killed Sugou off hahaha! While I was writing this, I kept listening to SAO OST and tears fell from my eyes, remembering the beautiful times. Oh well. Next Chapter will be Naruto during GGO. However, I have to warn you. I will cover the entire time period of GGO in one or two Chapters, as Naruto won't participate in GGO. But you will see something that will be vital for future chapters. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	14. Chapter 14:Success

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter fourteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the end of Naruto's first project . On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 14: Success**

 _ **Imperial Palace**_

Seven months had passed since Naruto had killed Sugou and the New Aincrad Castle appeared on ALO. During these months Naruto was busy with work, while Asuna was busy with school, but they still saw each other. The same could be said with the other guys, as they all formed together a Guild, called the **Swords of Time** , in memory of the time spend together in Sword Art Online. They were known as the strongest guild in Alfheim in terms of strength, as even if they weren't a lot of members, they each worked so well together, that they were unbeatable as a Team. Naruto also Soloed floor rooms, reaching Floor 70 of Aincrad alone and almost reaching as a Spriggan the strength of his true character.

Asuna was standing on a playground, near the road to the Imperial Palace, wearing a pink dress, a pink sweater and a white jacket above. She also wore grey stockings, brown shoes, a rosario around her neck and held a red bag. She was responding to her mom through a text message, before looking up. "It's been almost a year." she said to herself. She then saw a leaf and attempted to catch it "I wonder what's the difference between the Virtual and the Real World." she said. "That's simple. The amount of information." a voice said, as she gasped in surprise. In front of her stood Naruto, wearing black jeans, black combat boots, a grey muscle shirt and a black leather jacket above. She pouted "You scared me."she said. Naruto tilted his head "I came right on time. It's you who was daydreaming." he said, as she giggled. "Well, hello Naruto-kun." she said, as he grinned "Hello Asuna-chan." he replied. He then looked her up and down, as she blushed "What is it?" she asked. "Well, this outfit really suits you. It also brings back a lot of memories." he said, smiling. "Oh. But I do not have a rapier." she said. He scratched his head "I could always buy you one." he said, as she laughed. She then looked at him intently "Well, look who's talking about looking like their past self." she said, grinning. "Ey. Black is a nice colour." he said. "It sure is!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arm around his "So, we wear our past colours. What are the odds of that?" she asked. "One in five." he said, as they both laughed, walking away.

As they made their way into the Imperial Palace, Naruto spoke "Don't you think the Imperial Palace is interesting?" he asked. "Interesting? How so?" she asked. "Well, it stretches to two kilometers from north to south and one and a half kilometer from east to west. It is a no fly zone, while no railways or subway stations pass under it. It also has it's own private network, which can't be accessed by anywhere else. So not only physically, but information wise it's isolated." he said, pointing at a round camera. "I see." she said.

They continued walking to the spot where the remains of the Edo Castle's inner citadel laid. They took photos and walked around, until evening came and they sat on a wooden bench. "I still can't believe my boyfriend is the most famous nineteen year old of Japan." she said. He laughed "Oh come on." he said. "It's true. Speaking of which, after you finish your four year career in the military, what will you do?" she asked. "Well, I talked with my parents regarding the matter. After the military, I shall take over two companies that have to do with Virtual Reality. I shall start by creating a man-machine interface to replace FullDive technology. I even convinced Kirito to join me after he finishes his college studies, around the same time I finish. One day, we shall have Yui-chan with us, but for now, the data is too massive." he said. She tilted her head "You mentioned that before. What does it mean?" she asked. "Well, when you touch someone in ALO, does it feel the same when you touch them in real life?" he asked. "No it doesn't. I can't feel their warmth.. I see!" She exclaimed. "That's right. Senses like touch, smell, sound are different and hold large amounts of data. That's why it is impossible right now. But in the future, after the technology to hold large amounts of sensory data is complete. We would be able to meet with Yui-chan, while at the same time, we would be unable to understand the difference of an avatar and the real deal without knowing them." he said, as she nodded. She placed her head on his shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her "Be sure to do it." she said, closing her eyes. "It's a promise." he said.

They looked at the sunset for a little, until Asuna spoke "I think I understand why you brought me here. If the world is composed of an axis called time and a plane called space, Tokyo is the center of the real world. And the First Aincrad which leaves on in our memories, is the center of the Virtual World. That's why the sunset is so familiar." she said, as Naruto nodded. "Indeed. That is why." he said, as they shared a kiss "Come on. It's getting cold. Let me take you home." he said, as she nodded. "Hey Naruto-kun. I love you." she said, as he smirked "I love you too." he said.

 _ **Naruto's House**_

Naruto opened the door in his house, sighing in content. Today they managed to fully implement the results of their work. Soon, they would be able to run tests to see if it was truly possible for a man to attack security networks through the NerveGear. He returned home, taking off his military uniform, before having a shower. As he came out of the bathroom, he heard his phone make a text noise. Picking it up, he saw a message from Kirito, asking if he could come by his house for coffee. 'Sure.' replied Naruto, before putting the phone down and grabbing something to wear. He put on a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt with a blue whirlpool on it and white shoes. He did some work on his laptop, when he heard a knock on the door. He smirked, seeing Kirito at his door "Hey pal. How are you? Come in." he said, as Kirito nodded. They sat down, as Naruto gave him a cup of coffee "So. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Naruto asked.

"Well. I would like your opinion on an issue, as you're the only one who could answer it." he said. "Seijirou came to me and asked my opinion regarding a matter. Recently, in GGO, a game with guns and the only one where you can transfer your game money to actual money, a player called Death Gun appeared in a bar and shot with his gun a monitor with another player. That other player died soon of heart failure." he said, as Naruto's eyes widened. "Also, a similar incident happened a week ago. Same problem, same player. Seijirou asked me if anyone can kill someone using a bullet from a game." he said. Naruto frowned "An Amusphere can't fry a person's brain, the microwaves are too weak. And there is no part connected to a heart. They probably died of an injection, if it is a murder." he said, as his analytical mind went through scenarios. "What do you mean?" asked Kirito "You think they suicided?".

Naruto shook his head "The Death Gun part is too much of a coincidence. If this truly is an organized murder, then there are two plausible options. One, which I don't believe, is that the Amusphere has a hidden mechanism which allows it to inject something into the bloodstream and every time this Death Gun's shoots someone, he wills the activation of the device." he said. "The other, more possible option, is that Death Gun isn't working alone. He chooses his targets and when the in game Death Gun shoots, a second guy, located in the victim's home, injects him with venom. And since many players drug themselves before games, none would be the wiser if the poison somehow vanished. But there are too many variabilities to know, like how they coordinate and more. No matter, my answer is that while a bullet from the game can't kill a man, it is still possible this Death Gun is at fault." he said.

Kirito nodded "I thought so too and what you said is very interesting. I should contact Seijirou. I need to get to GGO right away. Can you help me?" he asked. Naruto shook his head "I am afraid I cannot come to GGO. A new game could take a lot of time. And my current project is at it's final phase. But if you need any help from the real world or from outside the game, I can help." he said, as Kirito nodded "That's more than enough for me, if you are busy. I know I can count on you." he said, as Naruto nodded. "You can. And a word of advice, if you truly go into GGO, I suggest logging in from a safe place, possibly a hospital room to be monitored and protected." he said, as Kirito nodded."I will. I also have one more reason I am here." he said.

"I wanted to ask if you have any connections to the Grand Kendo Championship." he asked. Naruto raised an eyebrow "Suguha wants to participate?" he asked. Kirito nodded "Indeed. But they deny her application without feedback." he answered. Naruto nodded "I will see what I can do. At best, I can have her enter. At worst, I will find the reason to the deny and if possible, try to change it to success." he said. Kirito nodded, rising, as Naruto did the same. "Thank you. I must now be off. I have to study." he said, as they both laughed.

Naruto sighed, cracking his neck. He looked at the time, nodding to himself "I must complete this in five days. I must begin in one hour. But first let's see what I will need. No sleep for me tonight. I will need to send a message I won't go to work tomorrow and I will work from home. I will also need a lot of coffee and ten chicken sandwiches. Alright, time to go to the supermarket." he said to himself, grabbing a blue jean jacket, putting it on and going outside. He returned in five minutes, making his way to the basement. He smirked, looking at it. Nothing had changed, except for the fact he placed LED lights and that his collection was halfway done. Instead of the original three, now 7 parts were complete. Two lines were covered in handguns. There was the Five-Seven, a Colt Single Action Army, a Glock 18, a P250, a Tec-9, a Desert Eagle, a Walther P99 and a CZ-75. There were two lines covered in sub-machine guns. He owned an MP9, a Skorpion, one MP5K, one MAC-10, one P90, one MP7, one PP-Bizon and one UMP-45. Two more lines held assault rifles. He had an AK-47, one M4, one Galil, one Famas, a Steyr AUG, one FN SCAR, one G3 and an AR-15. Then, one line held four bags. Each bag could fit five grenades of a type. He had a High-Explosive Grenade, a Flashbang grenade, an Incendiary Grenade, a Smoke Grenade and a Shrapnel Grenade. The rest needed a lot more money to finish collecting, but he was saving for that purpose. Finally, he had upgraded his tools and added in a corner a tiny fridge, a coffee machine and a water machine.

Naruto placed the sandwiches on the fridge and made some coffee, before sitting down. As his pc opened, he picked up the papers from work and started reading each, before signing them and placing them back. "Alright. Let's see now… what's this?" he wondered. He opened up a mail from his father, but instead of coming from his personal mail, it came from his company mail, so it was for work. He shrugged "I will open it once I am done. The first part will take around four hours or so, maybe five." he said to himself. "Well, let's get to work." he cracked his fingers.

Naruto was chewing on a sandwich, moaning as his work for today was over. "Damn. That took more time than expected." he said, as it was almost 1 AM. He sighed and was about to go to the next part, when he remembered his father's email. Opening it, he was surprised at what it said.

' _To Naruto of the Triangle Organization, Captain of the Research Bureau, Chief of Project Fly._

 _The government of Japan, after recent events has deemed fit that your project is vital to be finished soon. Funding has been provided to run tests before the week's end and without you showing the results. The first, hopefully last, test will take place tomorrow at 10 AM. If ten successful tries happen simultaneously, the device will be considered a success. But this mail also regards another plan. You are to read Kayaba Akihiko's work and try to fully understand his intricate NerveGear, which he used to create a High-Powered Scan of his brain and die. Since this special NerveGear laid the foundations for the prototype hospital machine codename "MB", we wish to see if it has any uses that can help with the accomplishment of controlling any machine with the NerveGear. We wish at the beginning you could work on it personally, for three days only until your group can relax. Whatever you need for your research, tell us. You have our full cooperation and support. Thank you for your time.'_ and at the end were the official stamps of Triangle and the Japanese Army.

Naruto frowned for a moment 'I am to use Kayaba's research and experimental NerveGear to find possible connections to our goal?' he thought. He saw that the email had also a file with it. Saving it to his computer, he was surprised as it turned out to be Kayaba's entire research. As the Antivirus checked every program before downloading it, Naruto sighed, throwing the empty packet on the trash can and grabbing another sandwich "This will take a while. I will start tomorrow, after the end of the tests." he said to himself. He finished his sandwich, placed the last four in the fridge and went to bed.

 _ **Triangle Research Base**_

Naruto, in his Army Uniform with a white lab coat above, was checking some panels, with a number of people sitting in front of him and checking commands, machines and displays. They were his research team, well most of it, as four had gone to help the man who volunteered for the experiment. Naruto turned to Ringo, his first lieutenant and second-in-command "Everything alright?" he asked, as Ringo nodded. "Everything is ready Sir. We only need for the volunteer to finish." he said, as Naruto nodded. "Alright. I will go there. Keep an eye here." he said, hearing a "Yes Sir." before exiting the room. Going down some stairs, he turned, looking at a large circular platform with a medical table made of iron. On the table stood a man in his thirties, with black hair and eyes. He only wore a pair of black shorts, as a group of four scientists were placing electrodes around him.

Naruto came to him "Hey. How are you feeling pal?" he asked. The man smiled "I am well. Just anxious." he said. The man was an expert in the field of mechatronics, programming, computer science and computer engineering, holding many degrees at the age of thirty. "Alright. Do you remember what you must do and what each device does?" he asked. The man nodded "Once I am inside the Virtual World through the Amusphere, I will be surrounded in an electronic suit, while I will be holding a pistol and a speargun. The speargun's purpose is to destroy the system's main security, while the pistol will be used to take down firewalls or weak security devices, to find the weakest link in the network. I will have special HUD glasses which will show me all the possible strengths and weaknesses. There will be ten tries, each with increasing level of security defense. The next level will come automatically" he said, as Naruto nodded. "Good. If any situation arises, any situation, press the button on the right of the HUD, on your chest, or on your belt. Any of those will send us a signal through the Amusphere. If something has gone wrong, we will shut it down and you will return. Good luck." he said, as the scientists finished and placed the Amusphere. As Naruto went back to the control room, he sent a glance to a black window, where two members of the Army, his father and two members of the Japanese Government stood inside, observing the experiment. The room had a Live Camera with the control room, as they saw and listened to whatever occurred there. Naruto clapped his hands "Begin.".

 _ **Virtual World**_

The man, whose name was Gin Torimaru, appeared inside an empty black space, with blue sparks flying every once in awhile. He looked down, seeing a pure blue suit with red lines on it, with a button on his chest and belt. The belt had a pistol and a speargun hanging from his hips. Sighing, he opened the HUD glasses, as he saw the security network in front of him. 'Let's see. A level 1 security network. Simple enough. The weak spot is at the center. I shoot the pistol and then use the speargun.' he thought. He took out his pistol and aimed at the center, as a beam of electrons shot the center, as it glowed red. He then took out the speargun and fired, as a blue spear hit the center, before the entire network collapsed. 'That was easy. Nine more to go.' he thought.

 _ **30 minutes Later**_

Gin panted, as he saw the Level 9 collapse. 'So far so good, but that was hard. Only Level 10 to go.' he thought, as he saw a new network arise. However, he was shocked at it. It didn't have any base form, nor was it standard. It looked like a moving random web. He used his HUD, finding no ways to bypass the system, as it looked like every weak point turned into a strong point. He stood down, thinking for over twenty minutes on what to do. He used all of his knowledge in computers, trying to find a solution. Suddenly, he thought of something 'What if I use logic? Every part turns from a weak point to a strong point. All I must do is aim my pistol at a point and when it turns weak, I immediately fire.' and did so. He aimed at a specific point, moving his pistol as the point moved, only to see the next one becoming a weak point. He fired the one to his right, as the chain broke. He saw five more weak points appeared, as he shot three, with more appearing. He saw a massive chain reaction of weak points spawning, until he saw a hint of red. Following it, he started shooting weak points at the surrounding area, before a large red circle appeared. He took out the speargun and shot it, as he saw a massive EMP being released, which made him quickly step back. He sighed "Whew. Glad I avoided the last security measure." he said to himself. Suddenly, he found himself feeling sleepy, before collapsing.

Opening his eyes, he saw Naruto smirking at him, as he heard claps and cheers everywhere. "Congratulations. You did it. Thanks to you, this project has been a complete success." he said, as the man nodded "Thank you. I am glad to help." he said, as Naruto nodded. "Get some rest. You deserve it." he said, as Gin was congratulated by more scientists. Naruto made his way in the room with the officials. He opened it and stepped inside, giving a military salute. The Army representatives did the same, while the Government officials clapped. Minato shook his hand "Congratulations. Your project was an entire success. Payment, along with a bonus has been sent on yours and every member of your team's account. Now, the Army will take care of the rest. Captain Namikaze, your next project has been sent to you. I trust you will begin as soon as possible." he said. Naruto nodded "Understood. I shall take my leave." he said. As soon as he left, he opened up a piece of paper his father gave him. 'Congratulations son. I am very proud of you and so is your mother. How about dinner at our house on friday? I am sure your mother would love to meet Asuna.' it read. Naruto laughed and planned to send him a reply. He completed the necessary paperwork and returned to his home, not before sending a list of all he needed for the next project.

 _ **Naruto's home**_

Naruto yawned, drinking some coffee on his living room. He was dressed in a pair of red pants and a black shirt, as he waited for the things he required to come, so he could begin the project. He already had sent a positive replied to his father, after getting a positive reply from Asuna. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Placing the coffee down, he opened the door, as he saw two soldiers, one holding a large box and the other a catalog. They saluted him, as Naruto saluted back. "Sign here Captain." the one with the catalog said, giving him a pen. Naruto added his signature, before grabbing the box "Thank you." he said, as they nodded and left. Naruto closed the door, before making his way down to the basement. He placed the box on the tool bench, as he grabbed a knife and opened the box. From inside, he took out a black helmet . "So, this is what you used, Kayaba Akihiko?" he said to himself, looking at the NerveGear.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! From now, GGO begins and when he is done, GGO ends. Three days will have passed on the next Chapter. And I know a lot of the guns I used for Naruto's collection are from CS:GO, but it's much easier for me to think of guns from there, than use CoD or BF. But now I am in the mood of Naruto using guns. Hmmm. Meh, maybe I will do a Naruto/Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei in the far future. Who knows. Sure as hell I don't I got over 5 stories which I want to write. Anyways, any questions you may have feel free to send them. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	15. Chapter 15:An Eventful Night

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter fifteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features . On with the story…. But first let me answer a review from a Guest. I have never really done it before, but he brings up some interesting facts that should be answered.**

 **I won't say who it or his questions, I will only say my answers to those questions, so for those not interested you can go to the story. First off, that little mistype is usually the only type of error you will find in this story from a typing view. Kushina/Naruto are my favourite couple and so is Kirito/Asuna. When I write a story when I mix these two, sometimes my mind will go on autopilot while writing and type the name of the other woman or man. I try to fix these mistakes using a search engine but some still elude me. As for the story being kinda fast, it's because of two reasons. One, I do not like stories with over thirty chapters long, a reason why my first story was split. Second, I do not believe Uber-OP stories should be overly long, unless they take part in a humongous storyline and even then I will cut it in half. As for the side story, a side story has already begun. It's full results will be revealed much later, but it has begun I assure you. And it doesn't matter if you're too late. No opinion is a waste for me, the obvious hateful unconstructive criticism an exception. Now, hope I answered your questions. On with the story officially now!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 15: An Eventful Night**

 _ **Naruto's House**_

Naruto yawned, as he woke up from the bed, looking at his alarm clock. It was Friday, 5:30 AM. Sighing, he woke up and went to the bathroom. After doing his morning routine of jogging and bathing afterwards, he went down to the basement to finish his work.

Five days had passed since Naruto had gotten hold of Kayaba's Nervegear and research and he spent almost every hour of his day working on it. And the results were simply staggering. Kayaba was a genius in every way. He knew it from the Seed, but now that he had the Cardinal info, it was simply amazing how crafty Kayaba was. To be able to create a self-sustained program, that handles a variety of major programs and even AI's, along with possessing the power capable of creating and destroying entire worlds sounds hard and incredible, but you can't fully comprehend the magnitude of those words when it comes to the Cardinal System, without seeing his inner workings. Kayaba created a programming language that managed to join programs of any kind, from sense replication, to perfect body control and even the AI management.

As for his NerveGear, it was impressive as well. Unlike most would think, he didn't set his NerveGear to emit low power microwaves to be able to survive his HP reaching zero. On the contrary, he actually created his NerveGear to be able to emit even stronger microwaves. It was the reason he was able to perform a Brain Scan that would allow him to transport his consciousness to the Virtual World. And while he didn't know how he had achieved it, he knew the reason was in the NerveGear. Kayaba never did anything without a reason or a price. He knew that very well by now. And he was also not a man driven by emotions. He knew he would survive the Brain Scan. That is why he actually performed an operation thought to have a slim chance of success. Kayaba wasn't someone who didn't take responsibility of his actions, or a man who would die to escape. Two swordsmen can convey messages through their blades and Naruto could tell. He did the Brain Scan, because he could. And Naruto had every intention of tearing it apart piece by piece to find out how. If he had to, he would hack into the memory of the NerveGear or anywhere the answers were. He knew it, deep in his mind. Kayaba found a way to enter his consciousness into the Virtual World. And he would find out how.

Naruto was interrupted from his internal ranting, as he was typing orders and way of work of the team for the new project, when his phone rung. He picked it up "Hello?" he asked. "Mhm. Yup. She said yes. Alright. 7:45 PM. We will be there. Later Mom." he said, ending the call. His mother had called him to ask if he and Asuna were coming, along with giving him the time. He typed a message to Asuna 'I will come pick you up at 7:30. Tell me when your mother wants you to return home once I pick you up. Have fun in school sweetie.' he wrote with a smile, before sending it. He placed the phone down, before turning to the screen. He typed a few more sentences and pressed Print. Turning to his printer, he took out the paper, before sending a copy of the original text to every member through email. He then went upstairs, changing into his uniform and driving to work. He would go early at 9 AM to finish everything, so he could return home by 5, rest for half an hour or so, before preparing to pick up Asuna for the dinner.

 _ **Asuna's home/5 hours later**_

Naruto stood outside of Asuna's home, waiting for her to come out so they could leave. He had returned home two hours ago and had done every activity. He had showered, brushed his teeth, washed his face and put on some perfume. He was wearing a dark grey tuxedo, with a dark grey vest, a white shirt and a black bowtie. He also had on his left wrist a silver watch. He sighed, looking at it "7:31. She should come out any second." he mumbled to himself. Suddenly, he heard the door open, he looked up, only to blush. There stood Asuna and she looked more beautiful than ever. She wore a pure red dress that hugged her figure perfectly, not too tight and not too loose. She was wearing red high-heels, while she held a red purse. Her hair was straight, while she had placed a touch of makeup on her face, which only defined her beauty. They were both blushing once they laid eyes on each other. Naruto walked forward, outstretching his hand "You look gorgeous. Shall we?" he asked. She nodded blushing "You look pretty handsome yourself." she replied, taking his hand. To her surprise, he led her to a Lexus RX 450h F Sport. **(AN: Do I really need to say I do not own this? If I did, I wouldn't be writing FN! Anyways, I do not own this car or the company that makes it.)** It was the latest model, painted in a pitch-black colour, with black tinted glass windows, complementing Naruto's style. "I didn't know you had a car?" she asked. He smiled "I finished an important project in my work and got a large bonus. I used part of the money to buy a car." he said, opening the door for her as she stepped inside. She looked at the interior, from the black leather seats, to the state-of-the-art visual panel and even the relaxing scent of the car. Naruto stepped inside and started the engine, the car making a satisfying speeding sound before starting to drive.

"What kind of project did you finish?" she asked. He frowned "I am sorry but that is classified. I can't tell you much. But I can tell you it has to do with my NerveGear, so every part of my work helps me to better understand the Virtual World and bring me easier to my, no, to our goal." he said, as she smiled. "I am glad. So, have you started another project?" she asked. He nodded "Indeed. I have been very busy this week. The new project is much harder than the first. On the first, we needed to create something. And all of us are experts in our fields, while our teamwork is flawless. It wasn't hard to accomplish it. All it needed was some tinkering. But now, we're stepping on unknown fields, where we try to find something we have no clue except instinct that it exists, we don't know how it works, or if it will help our goal." he sighed. She looked a bit scared "When you mean unknown, you mean dangerous?" she asked, as he shook his head "We don't use the NerveGear, only the Amusphere to go to the Virtual World. The NerveGear we use it for research only. That's all I can tell you for a few years." he said. "I understand. It's not easy being a member of classified projects." she said. "Nope it isn't. Luckily in four years, by the time your studies in university or college are over, I will be done with the military." he said. She grinned "I look forward to that." she said. "Oh look we arrived." he said, turning right, as they came face to face with a large house. The gate opened, allowing Naruto to park it inside. He exited the vehicle, before opening the door for Asuna. "Who is in the house?" she asked. "Right now only my parents and servants." he said, as she nodded.

They walked, as a black-haired maid stood on the front of the door. She bowed "Welcome home Naruto-sama. Greetings, Asuna-sama." she said addressing them, as they nodded, with Asuna looking a bit embarrassed at the honorific. "Where is my father and mother?" he asked. "Minato-sama is waiting at the living room. Kushina-sama is preparing upstairs." she said, making way for them to enter, as Naruto nodded to her. They entered, as Asuna looked in wonder at the interior of the house. It was painted a rich yellow colour, with the floor having a wood layer. A carpet with intricate designs was laid down, leading to the backyard. It had a large marble stairway, leading to the upper floors. The house was decorated with paintings, while a chandelier hang from the top. Naruto led her to the living room, a medium-sized room, with white couches and a marble coffee-table. On the wall was a fireplace, with small decorative tantos above it. Standing next to it was Minato, dressed in a light grey tuxedo, with a white shirt and a grey bowtie. Asuna had seen him on articles before, but she was still surprised at his resemblance with Naruto.

Naruto smirked, approaching his father and hugging him, as Minato hugged him back. "Hello son." he said, then turned to look at Asuna. He approached her, nodding and smiling "Namikaze Minato. I am pleased to meet my son's girlfriend and I must say, he made an excellent choice." he said. Asuna blushed, bowing "Thank you sir. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Yuuki Asuna." she said. He laughed "Please my girl, do not be so formal." he said, as she nodded. They heard someone approaching, as they turned, seeing a smiling Kushina. She was wearing a black strapless dress that hugged her figure, completed with black high-heels. She also wore makeup, adding to her beauty. She smiled, hugging Asuna, to her surprise "Oh I am so glad to finally meet you! I am Uzumaki Kushina, Naruto's mom! He talks a lot about you." he said, as they both blushed, with Naruto grumbling, earning him a snicker from Minato. She let go, as Asuna bowed "A pleasure to meet you Kushina-sama. I am Yuuki Asuna." she said. "Oh, just call me Kushina, Asuna-chan. After all, we're all a family, or rather will be." she said with a smile, as they blushed even more.

They sat down on the dining room, where the servants had placed trays of food moments ago. The dining room had a massive table made of oak, with a red spread on it. Naruto and Asuna sat on one side, Minato and Kushina sat opposite of them. As they were eating, Naruto took a sip from his water. "So, when is the wedding?" Kushina asked, as they both widened their eyes, Naruto almost choking on the water. As he swallowed he yelled "Mom!", as Asuna tried to hide her blush. "What? Is it bad I can't wait to see you wearing a tuxedo, holding your bride and exiting a church?" she asked, as he sighed. "I intended to ask Asuna to marry me after she finishes college and I finish the Military career. We would both be able to enjoy it the most then." he said, Asuna agreeing. "All matters of marriage aside." Minato coughed "Asuna-chan, know that we can help you in any way you wish anytime." he said, as Asuna nodded. "Thank you very much." she said.

"What do you want to do in the future Asuna?" she asked. "I am not sure. While people my age should have figured out what they want to do by now, I am a special case. I lost two years of studies, so I am not sure what I want to do." she said. "It is quite alright. I don't mean to rush you though, but you should decide by the end of the second year. Students who reach a decision at their third year, usually make a poor choice." he said, as she nodded. "Still, you have months ahead of you. And if by the third year you don't know what to do, well, I am sure Naruto would love to have you help him." he said, as Naruto nodded. "I would love it. But Asuna's happiness is my priority. I want her to choose her own life." he said, as she smiled at him, the parent's doing the same, glad for their son's choices.

The dinner continued for another hour, where they talked about their different views and opinions on a number of subjects, ranging from politics to education. Afterwards, they left as Asuna had to return home early. Naruto and Asuna were in the car, Naruto driving Asuna home. "Your parents are wonderful people." she said, as he nodded. "Indeed they are. They are amazing people. Even if we had our differences at the start, I can't help but love them." he said. Asuna nodded, as a small frown reached her face, thinking of her own parents, before it vanished. "Say Naruto-kun. I didn't know you would have though marriage thoroughly." she said, smiling. He smirked "What I said is true. I wanted to propose you after college, unless of course you want much earlier." he smirked, as she blushed. "Relax, I am just messing with you." he said, as she laughed. "Say Naruto-kun. Did you buy your house thinking we could have a family there someday?" she asked. He shook his head, as she raised an eyebrow "When we start a family, I will purchase a house similar to that of my parents. I will still keep this house, but more as a resort." he said. "Well, a resort sounds wonderful." she smiled. The rest of the trip was in silence, with light talk here and there.

After a few minutes, they arrived at Asuna's home. Naruto stepped out of the car and opened her door, as she stepped out "I had a really good time." she said, as he nodded. He kissed her on the lips, as she returned it happily. They let go, as she went at her door. "Goodnight, my sweet angel." he said, as she smiled, waving at him. He entered his car and drived home. As soon as he arrived home, he had a shower. However, his phone had a text message. Opening it, he widened his eyes. 'Naruto, Kirito's heartbeat has increased in the hospital during GGO. Please check on him. Seijirou.' it wrote. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto picked a pair of black track pants, a blue shirt and a black jacket, finishing with blue sports shoes. He also took his gun holster and rode on his bike, going to the hospital.

 _ **Hospital**_

Naruto rushed through the hospital corridors, his phone at hand "Yui-chan, where now?!" he asked. 'Turn left at the corner, then go eight meters!' she said, as Naruto swiftly turned and opened a door. "Kazuto!" he said, as a nurse with brown hair looked at him "You must be Naruto. He told me of you." she said. "Is he alright?" Naruto asked. "He is not in physical danger but his heart rate just increased." she said. 'Heartrate? What is going on?' he thought. 'Papa. Look at the PC panel on the wall.' she said, as the panel came to life, as they viewed the Bullet of Bullets tournament. He saw a man in a black cloak, with a silver skull mask that had red eyes. Opposite of him was Kirito, in a girly avatar with black clothes. Naruto sighed "His heartbeat increased because he is fighting. It will decrease once over." he said, sitting down next to Kirito. He noticed the other one's name "Steven? Did he misspell Steven? No wait, Sterben? Where have I heard that?" he asked. "It's used in medical vocabulary. It is used when a patient passes on at the hospital. It means 'death'." she frowned. Naruto turned back, observing the match. He was surprised when he found out he was a member of Laughing Coffin. 'Wait. Laughing Coffin… Estoc…. Red Eyes!' he suddenly rose "Yui! Send a message to Kirito. The man is Red-Eyed XaXa!" he said.

He saw the realisation on Kirito's eyes, when he was fighting him, as he revealed it to Death Gun, who narrowly missed his attack. And he had to say, the fight ended amazingly. He was really surprised Kirito would use a gun, but the moment he held both the Five Seven and the Energy Sword, he could feel Kirito's swordsman spirit resonating, as he struck the killer blow. He could then see him talking to another girl, before an explosion resonated. He turned, as Kirito woke up, drawing breath. "Easy buddy. You did it." he said, as Kirito panted, standing up. He smiled at Naruto "Thank you for telling me. I was a fool not to ask his name. I won't do that mistake again." he said. "Well, Seijirou filled me in on the details on the way here. You sure the girl is alright?" he asked. Kirito nodded "She has a friend she can trust." he replied. Naruto nodded, then his phone began to ring. He picked it up "Seijirou. What is it?" he asked. He stayed silent for a moment, before widening his eyes "Thank you." he said closing it. "Get dressed. You were wrong. Your friend's friend is Xaxa's brother." he said, as Kirito widened his eyes and immediately bolted out of the bed.

 _ **Asada's Home**_

Naruto and Kirito rushed at Shino's house, where they heard cries of a girl and of a boy screaming "Asada-san!" maniacally. Naruto sped up, kicking the door down, before kneeing the boy in the face. The boy screamed and attempted to punch him, only for Naruto to duck, then jump and knee him in the face, before turning and kicking his stomach. The boy, who had light brown hair and dark brown eyes, screamed in pain, before rising and attempting a kick "Stay away from my Asada-san!" he yelled, only for Naruto to duck under the punch, go behind him, before chopping his neck, as the boy fell to the ground unconscious. Naruto sighed, as he saw Kirito tending to Shino. "Thank you for coming, Kirito." she said. Kirito smiled "Don't thank me. Thank Naruto. He revealed it to me." he said, as Shino turned and bowed to me. Naruto shook his head "It is fine. I'll go outside to call the police." he said, as Kirito tended to a now crying Shino.

 _ **Naruto's home.**_

Naruto was sitting on his bed, preparing his NerveGear to join ALO. Almost three days had passed since he and Kirito saved Shino. As it turned out, Xaxa's brother, Kyouji, first thought of Death Gun murdering people after a player named Zexceed spread word that Agility was the best, when he created a Strength/ Vitality character. They grabbed an emergency security card and a drug used for killing patients from their dad's hospital. There was also a third Death Gun, Johnny Black, who is still on the run. Right now, Shino and Kazuto were in the Dicey Cafe, along with Asuna and Lisbeth, trying to make her see the good side of what she did when she was young. He, however, had work to do.

It was Monday 3 PM. He had just returned from work and his frustration with the project increased. Even spending seven days working on it, while his team spend five days hacking for clues, nothing regarding a way to increase the chances a person would survive transferring his consciousness to the Virtual World. And from what he learned, every possible place with the answers has been hacked and or searched thoroughly by the government and themselves, yet nothing came. He sighed, but steadied himself. He placed the NerveGear on his head, before closing his eyes " **Link Start**." he said, going to the virtual world.

He opened his eyes, as he found himself to the guild's HQ, which was located above Lisbeth's shop. Sighing, he walked outside, before flying away. He flew far away, to a remote location. He used his Tracking Skill to look around. When he was sure no one was near, he said "System Login: ID Heathcliff." before the familiar screens surrounded him. He then saw the surrounding landscape go black, as he unconsciously teleported into a void. "I know you're here, Kayaba. Show yourself, for I have questions that need answering." he said.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know that the GGO part might seem rushed, but I didn't want to merely copy the Anime Scene and slightly change the dialogues, so I had it as a narration in Naruto's head. I also hope you liked Asuna meeting Naruto's parents. As for the ending, what happened won't be revealed until later on. Won't say when. Next Chapter will be the Excalibur Saga. I will either do it in one or two chapters. We will see. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	16. Chapter 16:Excaliber

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter sixteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the Holy Sword Excalibur Quest Arc. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 16: Excaliber**

 _ **Naruto's House**_

Naruto was sitting at his house, his Laptop in front of him, having a Video Chat with Asuna on the Guild's team chat. He was wearing a cream cricket sweater with navy blue stripes, along with blue jeans. Around two weeks had passed since the events in GGO. Shino, or Sinon in game, transferred over to ALO and became the guild's first archer. They had gone on a few quests together, but everything was peaceful. He was currently drinking hot coffee, as he talked to Asuna, who was wearing a pink bathrobe and had her hair wrapped in a towel. "So, enjoyed the bath?" he asked, as she laughed. "I did. Hot baths are the best!" she said. "You're telling me? I remember the first days we spent together in SAO. If I was in my real body, I would still have a wound from that hit." he pouted, as Asuna laughed "That was your fault mister! Say Naruto, would you-" she was interrupted though by Kirito, who entered the call. "Naruto! The Excaliber has been found! Wanna do a party quest?" he asked quickly, as Naruto facepalmed. "Slow down and talk normally." said Naruto. "The Legendary-Class Straight Sword Excaliber has been found. And since it is the last days of the year, I figured it would be nice to spend it together." he said, as Naruto nodded. "Sure. I am in. Asuna you in?" he asked, as she nodded happily. "Great! Just one problem. Suguha's creepy pet-" he was interrupted by a loud crash and a yell of "Tonkii isn't creepy! He is cute!", getting laughs from Naruto and Asuna. "Anyways. Tonkii can only carry seven at a time, one whole party and we are eight." he frowned. Naruto smirked "Leave that to me for when Tonkii arrives. When do we meet up?" he asked with a smirk. "This afternoon." he replied. Naruto turned to Asuna, who smiled. "Count us in." they said in unison.

 _ **Swords of Time HQ**_

Naruto, Klein, Lisbeth, Kirito, Sinon and Silica were in the first floor of the Guild Building, which housed Lisbeth's shop. Naruto and Kirito were leaning on a wall, Naruto's hair now back to their spiky look and Kirito's to their softer look, Lisbeth was in the back sharpening weapons, while Klein was drinking ale on the table, Silica and Sinon watching him. Sinon was a Cait Sith with blue hair and eyes, wearing black boots, black shorts and a green coat with a white breastplate above. Sinon and Kirito had gotten really close the last days. If they weren't dating already, Naruto assumed they would soon. His thoughts were interrupted by Klein's loud approval of his drink.

"Are you on New Year break Klein-san?" asked Silica, her pet dragon Pina on her head. "Indeed I am! Since yesterday! Even if I felt like working, nothing comes in. The CEO keeps bragging of our skill, to be able to have a whole week off for New Year." he said happily. "And you Naruto-san?" asked Sinon. Naruto shook his head "I don't work in Holidays. I haven't taken days off just so I could get them all now." he said. "Hey guys, if we do get Excaliber today, can you help me get the Spirit Blade Kanedzuchi!" he requested. "But that dungeon is so hot!" Kirito complained. "And Jotunheimr is so freaking cold!" Klein retorted, as Silica laughed. "Then I know what I want. The Light Bow Sekinah." Sinon said. Everyone looked at her, as Naruto sniffed "They grow up so fast, only two weeks old and on their hunt for legendary weapons.", causing everyone to chuckle. "Well, the bow Lis made for me is amazing, but I want a bit more range." she said. "Hey. Bows have more range than spears and less than magic. It is you who wants to hit them from one hundred meters." Lisbeth complained. "Honestly, I want to double that." she said, as everyone laughed.

The door opened, as Leafa and Asuna, holding baskets, came inside "We're back!" they said, as everyone welcomed them. "Papa! We did some information gathering!" Yui said, sitting on Naruto's shoulder "Apparently, no one has found the Excaliber through the quest with Tonkii. They did it using a different quest." she said. "And it wasn't a peaceful one either. It was a slaughter type, so everyone is trying to kill as many monsters as possible." Asuna added. "But isn't it weird? The Excaliber is found in a mid-air dungeon swarmed with Tyrant monsters. Why would an NPC show it to them?" he asked, as everyone frowned, thinking about it. "We will find out when we get there! All weapons and gear are fully restored!" she yelled, as Naruto grinned. "Alright. Let's get this show on the road!" he said, grabbing his armour and Kusanagi "Gear up guys!" he exclaimed. Everyone grinned, joining him and getting their weapons and equipment.

"We are still a bunch of muscle-heads though." Klein smirked. "Why don't you increase your Magic then?" she asked. "A samurai doesn't use Magic. I would sooner break my sword." he said. "But a Samurai is in RPG's a warrior/Dark Magic hybrid class. And Klein-san, you previously used a Sword Skill with fire. That was half magic." she said, as Klein gawked. "Indeed. Silica-chan is correct. Sword Skills were introduced once Papa's Mama took over ALO and high Level skills are divided into six magic elements, Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Dark and Holy." she said. "So, about you breaking your sword?" Lisbeth grinned, seeing Klein's expression. Klein fell on top of Kirito "Kirito! Help!" he pleaded. "Well, you don't use incarnations in Sword Skills. Let's say they don't count!" he said chuckling, as Klein nodded. "Oh alright." said Lisbeth, swinging her mace in the air. "Everyone. Thank you for coming." said Kirito, looking at everyone. "I will find a way to express my gratitude. Let's do this!" he raised, his fist as everyone cheered.

 _ **Road to Dungeon**_

Everyone was running down a massive stairway, to get to Jotunheimr quickly. Most of them were panting heavily, some panted normally and only Naruto didn't look tired. "Why is it so big! It is as big as a New Aincrad dungeon!" Lisbeth complained. "Hey. This only takes five minutes. The normal road takes two hours. Cherish every step!" Kirito said, before getting into a fight with Sinon for grabbing her tail.

After three more minutes, they made it to the ground, looking down at Jotunheimr's snowy fields, as Klein complained about the cold. Asuna smiled, chanting a spell, before giving everyone cold resistance. Leafa went to the edge, whistling. Nothing happened for a few seconds, before to their surprise, Tonkii appeared from below. "I am not getting into that. My grandpa said never to ride American cars or flying elephants!" Klein complained, only to yelp in surprise as Naruto kicked him on Tonkii with enough force. Everyone went up, except Naruto. Kirito turned to him "Now what?" he asked. Naruto smirked "You guys go on. I will meet you there." he said, as everyone nodded, curious on how he would achieve it. As they slowly flew away, they heard an incantation. Turning, they saw Naruto chanting a transformation spell. A blizzard picked up, surrounding him, before a roar was heard to their shock. From the crystal, came an enormous Phoenix, made of gold flames roared, quickly passing them. "The dungeon boss of Floor 55. The only floor with winged bosses. Naruto, you smart fox." said Kirito as everyone laughed. On their way there, they met an AI, who played the role of a Goddess with flowing blonde hair and turquoise eyes, wearing a blue dress. Her name was Urd and after a story, she gave them the quest to get the Excaliber or the Frost Giants would invade.

Naruto, back in his normal form, along with the rest of the group, stood in front of the Labyrinth door. However, Yui flew up, as he raised an eyebrow "What is it Yui-chan?" he asked. "This is a hypothesis, but it is possible. The Cardinal system used in ALO is different from the other VRMMO's. It is a full spec copy instead of the watered-down version. The full spec system can generate infinite quests by drawing data from our world's myths and legends and crossing their data. My archives say this quest if failed, not only will the frost giants ascend, but flames giants from a lower world, will arise and burn the World Tree." she said. "Ragnarok. Impossible! There is no way a game would destroy it's entire environment!" Leafa exclaimed. Yui shook her head "The original Cardinal system can. It was after all, it's final task in SAO, the destruction of Aincrad." she said, as everyone widened their eyes. "And we couldn't restore the date through backup?" she asked. "No, only player data would be restored." Yui responded. Naruto sighed "Alright. GM's are probably offline. We don't have much time. But let us finish this." he said, opening the doors, as everyone nodded!

"I HATE BULLS! I HATE THEM!" Naruto roared, charging with Kusanagi and a new blade. It was a pure black Daito, with a crossguard shaped like the Kanji for 'full'. A small chain came out from the pommel. It was called **Zangetsu.** He and the group were fighting two bulls, a yellow one with high physical resistance and a black one with high magic resistance. "Shock wave attack coming in two seconds!" yelled Yui, as the yellow one raised his axe, glowing with electricity. He brought it down, as everyone was damaged by it, even if they dodged. Asuna raised her wand, chanting a spell to heal everyone. The yellow bull attempted to hit them, but Naruto and Kirito blocked his strikes. "Naruto-kun! At this rate I will run out of MP in two minutes!" Asuna yelled. "Onii-chan! We're running out of time! It' at seventy percent!" Leafa said. "I see. Everyone! We might be left open to attack, but we have to use Magic Sword Skills!" Kirito said. Naruto nodded "Agreed. Let's hit this pest with all our Sword Skills. Silica, Bubble Breath on my call. Now!" he said, as the bull prepared to decapitate him. "Pina! Bubble Breath!" yelled Silica, as the dragon released a flurry of bubbles that hit the bull, causing him to get drowsy. "Now!" yelled Kirito. Klein roared, using a fire slice at his right shoulder, while Leafa used a Wind Slice at his left shoulder. Lisbeth charged her mace with lightning and hit his left leg, while Silica's dagger was coated in Water Magic, slicing his right leg. Sinon fired a Holy Arrow at the Bull's face, while Kirito charged at it doing damage on his chest with a fire skill. However, everyone was stunned as the bull recovered. "Alright!" yelled Kirito, as his second black sword glowed blue, as he stabbed it's chest, ice forming behind it, before ripping it out, forming ice on the front, which exploded. Naruto jumped high in the air, coating his blades in dark magic, before spinning like a whirlwind, striking the bull's back repeatedly with his blades. "Now everyone!" they both yelled. Klein roared, unsheathing his blade and appearing behind the bull, sheathing it, as the bull's waist was enveloped in fire. Leafa did a double swing with Wind Magic, while Silica attacked his sides. Lisbeth struck his head, as Sinon jumped on it and fired a frost arrow at point blank range. Kirito jumped, piercing him with a sword enveloped in fire. Everyone was frozen, only to their shock for the bull to drop to red and not die. "Now!" yelled Naruto, as he and Asuna jumped on him, Asuna using her **Linear** , before jumping back, as Naruto raised his blades " **Cross Crescent Scar!** " he yelled, as two Crescent Arcs of Holy Energy, in the shape of a Cross struck the Yellow Minotaur, making him vanish. Everyone recovered, before smirking at the Black Bull, taking him down with a flurry of non-magic sword skills.

Everyone cheered at the 'Congratulations' message, until a roar came from Naruto "DAMN YOU VIRTUAL REALITY BULLS GIVING ME BULL DECORATED UNDERWEAR!" he roared, showing everyone two boxers, one yellow and one black. The yellow boxer had the black bull in front, while the black boxer had the yellow bull in the back. Everyone laughed at Naruto's twitching eye, as he muttered about selling them, then stealing them only to burn them. "Leafa. How much time do we have?" Kirito asked. "At this rate, about an hour." she said. "How big is the Labyrinth Yui?" he asked. "The next room is as big as a Dungeon, then a room about half that size, then a room as big as a Boss Room." she responded. "Alright. If the Boss takes thirty minutes, we need to get there in less than thirty minutes." said Naruto, after recovering from his rant. "Alright. Let's do this!" he yelled as everyone nodded.

 _ **Boss Room**_

Naruto and Kirito's party made their way into the final floor. On their way there, they encountered Freiya, an NPC. After some… convincing from Klein, they decided to let her come with them so she could get her treasure from the Boss Room, as she joined Kirito's party. As they made their way in, Naruto spoke up. "Alright. This boss will be the strongest. We will stick to the basics and attack with our powerful skills. Beware of his attack patterns, they will change on the yellow bar and the red bar. Let's do our best." he said, as everyone nodded.

They made their way inside the room, which once opened, a heavy cold wind struck them all. Asuna and the NPC gave everyone except Naruto, who liked to go Solo buffs, the NPC even increasing their Max HP. Inside the room, were numerous treasures and gold coins. However, a rumbling was heard, before heavy footsteps echoed around the room. "So. Flies have entered my domain from Alfheim. Tell me where Urd is and I will let you get as much gold from this room as you like." Thrym said. He was enormous standing over twenty feet tall, with blue skin, grey hair and icy blue glowing eyes. He wore a blue cloak, plate armour, sandals and blue gloves. "Like we would be bought by treasure. This ain't the way of a Samurai!" yelled Klein, as everyone took out their swords. Thrym smirked when he saw Freiya. "Oh if it isn't Freiya. Have you decided to become my wife?" he asked. "Wife?" yelled Klein. "Indeed. She came here to marry me. But she sneaked around my treasure vaults the night of the feast, so I locked her in a cage of ice." he said. "I will never marry you! I will defeat you with the help of these noble warriors!" Freiya yelled. "Fighting words. The nobler a flower, the more satisfying it is to pluck it. After I defeat these, as a footnote the day I conquer Alfheim, I will give you my full attention." he said, then turned to the Fairies "Prepare to die!" he roared, as the room glowed brightly.

Thrym rushed at them, throwing a punch which they dodged, only for him to punch the nearest, who was Naruto, as Naruto raised both his swords to block , as he was pushed back slightly "Attack!" he yelled. They roared, as Sinon fired explosive arrows at his head, while Kirito, Leafa and Klein attacked him with their blades, attacking repeatedly. However, it didn't do much damage as Thrym pushed them back. He reared his mouth, only to get struck by purple lightning, courtesy of Freiya. Thrym rose, as he lost one HP bar, before releasing a breath of ice that destroyed all of their buffs and slowed them down. Naruto rushed and started attacking him "I will buy you a minute! Use it to recover!" he roared, starting to use attack after attack. "Swordsmen. Our only hope is my family treasure. A golden hammer." she said. Kirito and Leafa went to the treasure, as Leafa instructed him to use a lightning skill. To their surprise, a hammer flew out of the air and into Freiya's hands, as Freiya turned into a large man with blonde hair, wearing a green tunic. He roared, as his white eyes glowed with power, lightning surrounding his form. Kirito widened his eyes 'Thor? The God of Thunder?' he thought, as Thor turned towards Thrym. "You filthy giant. You dare steal Mjolnir from me? You will suffer!" Thor roared, as Thrym created an ice axe. "And you dare to trick me? I will rip your beard and send it to Asgard!" Thrym yelled, as they started fighting. "Everyone! Use your strongest attacks now that Thor has his attention!" Naruto yelled, as they nodded. Asuna used her **Linear** , Lisbeth used **Green Thunder Smash** , Silica used **Torrential Barrage** , Leafa used **Leaf Whirlwind** , Kirito used **Howling Octave** , Sinon used **Explode Arrow** and Naruto used **Solar Beam**.

Thrym moaned in pain, falling to his knees. "Go back to the ground, where you belong worm!" yelled Thor, slamming his hammer on Thrym's head, a lightning bolt falling down. Thrym chuckled, as ice surrounded him "Beware the Asgardians flies-" were his last words, before he exploded. Thor turned to the group "Thank you fairy swordsmen. You deserve a reward." he said, throwing Klein a jewel which turned into a golden hammer "The Lightning Hammer Mjolnir! Use it righteously!" he yelled, before vanishing in golden light, as a 'Congratulations' message popped up. Kirito smiled "Congratulations on your legendary weapon." he told Klein. He turned to him "But I don't have a single point in hammers." he whined. Suddenly, Yui appeared "Papa! The quest isn't over yet! A staircase appeared!" she said, as Naruto and the others followed her. They found a staircase descending into darkness. "Let's go." Kirito said.

They descended, until they came to a room made of clear ice, with a Golden blade struck in the ice floor, cutting a root in half. Naruto frowned, as he remembered his battle with Sugou. He turned to Kirito "Go on. Take it." he said, smiling. Kirito nodded, as he went to the sword, grabbed the hilt and started pulling. "Come on you can do it!" everyone shouted, as Kirito roared and ripped it out, as golden light surrounded the room, before the roots grew unnaturally and destroyed the room. However, before the group could die, Naruto chanted a spell and transformed into a black Tonkii, making all of them drop on his back. As everyone cheered for the rescue, they were surprised, as the earth rumbled. To their shock, the snow melted as the sun appeared once again, trees and grass growing, as dozens of Tonkii's race appeared, causing Leafa to squeal. On their way back, Urd suddenly appeared "I thank you warriors. The sword that cuts wood and iron has been removed and Jotunheimr is as it should be. And my sisters want to thank you." she said. A girl identical to Urd, but with straight hair instead of wavy, appeared, wearing a blue dress "My name is Verdandi. I thank you, fairy swordsmen. I never expected to see a green Jotunheimr again. It's a dream that has come true." she said. Then, another woman appeared, with short blonde hair and wearing a female warrior's outfit, with a steel helmet "I am Skuld. I thank you, warriors." she said. All three of them released Stardust to the group, giving them rewards, as Kirito gained the blade. "Thank you fairies. Until we meet again." they said, vanishing, as Skuld gave Klein her contact info, to his happiness.

 _ **Dicey Cafe**_

One day had passed since the crew completed the quest. They were currently gathering in Andrew's Cafe, as Naruto, Kazuto, Suguha and Shino were there early for Naruto to finish a project. He had adjusted a Camera and Microphone, connecting them to his Laptop. "So, Yui-chan. You ready?" he asked. "Yes Papa! Oh, I can see you! I can see you and hear you!" she said. "What is this?" Sinon asked. "Naruto is turning real-time footage of the Cafe to Psuedo-3D. Using the camera and microphone as terminal sensor devices, Yui will feel as if she is flying inside the Cafe." Kazuto explained. "My brother studies Mechatronics and taking courses in it, while Naruto has mastered them. He will use it as a basis for his class project." Suguha replied. "I will make sure to send lots of requests!" said Yui, as everyone laughed.

An hour later, all the guild had gathered in Andrew's Cafe, sitting on a table with lots of food. On the end was the Laptop with Yui on it. "Alright! We're celebrating the fact we obtained the Excaliber and Mjolnir! Cheers to 2025!" he said, as everyone laughed "Cheers!". As they were eating, Shino asked something "Isn't it usually Excalibur in novels?" she asked. Naruto nodded "Come to think of it, it is. But there are multiple names for the Excaliber. Maybe the Cardinal took one of them." he said. Asuna smiled "You read these kinds of books, Shino-san?" she asked. Shino blushed "Well, I spent all my time in the Library during Middle School. I read a bunch of books on the tales of King Arthur. Now that I think about it, while spelled differently, caliber is used for the diameter of a gun's projectile. It came to mean the qualities of a person." she said. "That means Excaliber must be wielded by someone with pure heart! So, I heard someone got a lot of money from a short term job…" Lisbeth smirked, as Kirito gulped. Naruto laughed for a second "I already paid for this guys. Feel free to eat as much as you like. It's on me." he said, as everyone cheered, thanking him. Naruto smirked, as life was finally calm and he didn't want it any other way.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter, which because I am a big bad Thunderito, I slammed the entire Arc in one Chapter. I also made Naruto more badass, as he can now transform into anything! Weee! Anyways, next Chapter I will start the Rosario Saga. That will probably take two Chapters. And I believe, by Sunday this story will be over. Sad, I know. I had a real blast writing this, researching every FUNKY sword skill in SAO, comparing real life swordsmanship, which I got some experience in, with SAO's to figure out the best possible Unique Skills Naruto could have, making things up to cover the blanks of the anime etc etc. It was fun, seriously. And here is a spoiler, along with an answer to a review: The story won't end in Mother's Rosario, I will create a Final Chapter to complete this story, before going out with a bang. Some people ask me about PA, well, I will need to come up with something important, if I ever decide to do it. How will Naruto take part in PA? It's not like he can go to the America, or that the Japanese would let their brightest mind in VR to go. And I will need to again make a ton of research, even if I find a good enough reason. So for now, PA is a no. I might change that, if I find the movie enjoyable enough to add it. Until next time, Thunderito out.**


	17. Chapter 17:Family Time and Zekken

**ey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter seventeen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features family time and the start of the Mother's Rosario. On with the story! And read the AN at the end.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 17: Family Time and Zekken**

 _ **Group House**_

Silica, Lisbeth, Leafa, Asuna, a sleeping Kirito and a sleepy Naruto were all in ALO, in Naruto and Asuna's house. The girls had planned to do their homework online and Asuna persuaded Naruto to come and help them. "Naruto-kun? Why were the people during the Emperor Meiji's time against bringing down the Shogun system and becoming more technologically advanced?" she asked. Naruto opened one of his eyes, as he was slowly massaging the head of Yui, who was sitting on his lap asleep "The Japanese are people who respect tradition. When Emperor Meiji failed to stop the influence of the Western Powers on his country, many Japanese, ranging from peasants to Samurai, were against that. So, they followed the slogan Sonno Joi, revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians. Once the Emperor tried to bring down the traditional system, they marched on Edo Castle and begun the Boshin Wars, which ended and the Meiji Restoration came." he explained, as she nodded with a smile, typing an answer. "Naruto-kun? Why was Emperor Akihito loved so much?" Leafa this time asked. "He brought the Imperial family closer to the people. The Emperor and Empress made visits to all forty-seven prefectures of Japan and have travelled to eighteen countries. Their companies also help the people a lot." he said, as she nodded.

Naruto saw Silica about to fall asleep "Can someone cover Kirito with a blanket?" he asked, his eye twitching, as everyone laughed. "Naruto-kun? Can we go to Agil's after school?" she asked, as he shrugged "Sure. What time should I pick you up?" he asked. "Would 10 be alright?" she asked, as he nodded. "Thank you!" she smiled, as he shook his head "Don't be silly. You know I like going out on dates, wherever they are." he smiled at her. She blushed lightly, quickly going back to her studies. He smirked, before slowly rising up with Yui on his arms, going upstairs to put her to bed. After a minute, he went back down "Would you girls need anything else from me?" he asked, as their shook their heads. "Alright. I am off. Oh Asuna, want a full day-date or just at Agil's?" he asked, as she thought for a second "Well, I wouldn't mind you helping me with more homework." she said, as they laughed.

 _ **Dicey Cafe**_

"Here you go." said Agil, giving them two cups of warm coffee. "Thank you." they said at the same time. "You know, I didn't expect you to come here for a date. Maybe somewhere a bit more fashionable." Agil said, crossing his arms. "Compare to every shop in existence in SAO, this is fashionable." he replied, as Agil nodded, before widening his eyes "Hey I had a shop too!" he said, as Naruto snickered, with Asuna giggling. Agil sighed "You two certainly don't look like the top clearers right now." he said. "Look who's talking." Naruto fired back.

"Agil-san, were you a MMORPG player for a long time?" she asked. He nodded "Yes. I even met my wife in a game. She lived in America, but we came and opened a Cafe here. We wanted to buy two Nerve Gears, but we could only afford one. So we played a game to see who would go first. I am still glad I won." he said, as both nodded. "So, I joined the Leading group for her. I didn't want her to run this place forever." he said. Naruto nodded "Everyone wanted to return to something. Everyone fought to return to what was special for them." he said, as Agil nodded. "Asuna, you felt that too right?" Agil asked. She shook her head, looking at her reflection in the Coffee "No, I didn't actually. I am not fond of my parents, or games. I felt like I had no place in either worlds. So sometimes I forgot what I fought for. Then, Naruto came. He gave me a home that felt more real than anything I felt in the real world. And while I knew that our house in the 22nd Floor would disappear if SAO was beaten, the thought that I, Naruto-kun and Yui-chan could live there again sometime, gave me the strength to keep fighting." she said, as Naruto rubbed her forearm. "

Speaking of that, the New update of ALO is up. It features new Sword Skills and weapons, along-" "No, don't!" yelled Naruto. Agil raised an eyebrow "What is wrong with me saying Floors 21 to 30 are unlocked?" he asked, as Asuna widened her eyes. She then narrowed them at Naruto "What are you hiding, Naruto-kun?" she asked. He sighed, sipping his coffee "The update was up at 02:00 . I slept only two hours, just so I could wake up and get into the ALO. I hired a player to come to my party. I told him that if he came with me to a party for five floors of Raid and he just stood in a corner, once I beat both bosses I would give him all the money and Items. He knew my reputation so he accepted. I unlocked all five rooms in the span of two hours, using Legendary Gear and a lot of **Mugetsu**. I bought the house and all the furnitures and I intended to surprise you and Yui." he said, as Asuna widened her eyes. She then smiled and hugged him tightly, as he hugged her back with a smile. "Sorry for ruining the surprise." Agil rubbed his head. Naruto shook his head "While you should remember I am part of the group whose PC is used to load the Update, it is fine. We can still surprise Yui." he said. She nodded "Let's do it!" she said, rising "Bye Agil-san!" she said, rushing out. Naruto finished, his coffee, placed money on the table and fist-bumped Agil "See you later. Asuna won't stop now." he said as Agil waved goodbye.

 _ **Floor 22nd**_

Naruto and Asuna flew quickly through Floor 22, as Asuna watched the lake and the trees in happiness, snow falling freely to the ground, forming a sheet of white above the grass. They flew along the familiar wooden path, before Asuna widened her eyes at the log house. She quickly flew down and approached it, as Naruto came a second later. "Yui-chan, come out in your real form and keep your eyes closed." he said, as Yui appeared. He turned her slightly, as they both kneeled "Open them." he said. She did so, looking around, before she saw the house. Her eyes widened, before she squealed and hugged him. He laughed, giving Asuna a key. She nodded, opening the door. The house was just like the one they had in SAO. Everything, the furniture, the decorations even the paintings were the same, at the right place. She started crying, only for Naruto wipe her tears "Come on. Let us go outside. It is a beautiful time." he said, as they nodded and did so.

Naruto kneeled down and picked up some snow, forming two balls. "Now Yui. We shall play a family game. You take some snow, you form a ball." he then threw one of the balls at Asuna's face "And you throw it as hard as you can to someone's face." he finished with a grin. Asuna's eye twitched, before she smirked, throwing him a ball of snow, which he dodged and threw her his other ball, only to get hit by one from Yui. They started laughing, hitting each other with snowballs, running around. "Wait. I got an idea! Naruto-kun, me and Yui will be one team, you will be another. We will be eight meters away from each other. We have ten minutes to build something, then we will unleash snow balls on each other." she said, as Naruto smirked. They gained their distance, starting their construction.

"Alright Yui-chan. You take the snow and bring it together, like this." she said, forming a small hill of snow. "I see. Ok Mama!" she said, starting to collect snow. "That's a good girl! We must make this very high!" she said, as they started forming a small wall of snow. They nodded after two minutes. "Alright. Now we do the same with the sides, to form a small crescent moon." she said, as Yui nodded with a smile, taking the right side, Asuna taking the left. After five minutes passed, they formed a nice wall. "Alright Yui-chan! Our job is to cover Papa in snow from here! Let's form our supplies!" she said, as they started making snow balls. Once one minute was left, they turned to see Naruto's build only to gasp, as he had actually formed a tower of snow, from which he was on the top, smirking. The timer rung, as Naruto yelled "Begin the snow hail!" he said, as he begun throwing snowballs.

"Duck Yui-chan!" she said, as the wall kept them safe. "Bring Papa down!" yelled Yui, starting to throw snowballs at Naruto, as he started dodging them. "Yui-chan, Papa is too fast. Let's take down his tower! Hit the sides!" she said, as Yui nodded with a smirk. Naruto looked down, as they started hitting the sides of his tower, taking out the snow "Hey, no faaaaiiiir!" he yelled, as the tower collapsed, falling to the ground covered in snow. "Papa!" Yui yelled rushing and taking out the snow. However, two arms came from the snow, grabbing her, as Naruto raised her to the air and started running towards Asuna. They both hugged her, as they fell to the ground, the family of three laughing.

They slowly rose, as Naruto had an idea. He whispered something to Asuna, who nodded with a smile, rushing inside the house. "Alright Yui-chan. Now, we shall build a snowman." he said, holding her hand, going to the destroyed tower. "Now, let's make a giant ball!" he said, as she nodded "Yes Papa!" she said. Asuna looked outside the window, as she made hot chocolate. She smiled looking at them, before continuing. "That's a big ball Papa!" she said, as it was went to her stomach. "Indeed. And it will be bigger. Let us push it towards the other pile of snow." he said, as he and Yui pushed the ball halfway the distance of the other wall. They stopped, as the ball grew an inch, before going to the other wall "Now, we will make this a smaller ball." he said, as she nodded. "Papa this is fun!" she said, as Naruto nodded. "Now, this is good enough. I will take this ball to the snowman. Be a good girl and form a smaller ball with the remaining snow." he said, as she nodded "Yes Papa!" she said. Naruto placed the ball on top of the other, then started to make them smooth, taking out the excess snow. He saw Yui coming with a smaller ball, Asuna following her with a carrot, a few black orbs, a scarf and a hat. Naruto placed the ball, as Asuna and Yui decorated the snowman, making him eyes, a nose, buttons and a smile. Naruto then picked up two branches, as Asuna raised Yui, having her put on the scarf and a hat. He gave Yui the branches, before placing a recording crystal down. He pressed on it, before going to Asuna and Yui, who were sitting on the ground. He sat down "Smile and look at the crystal Yui-chan." he said, as they all smiled. A flash appeared, as Naruto went to the crystal, as it vanished, a picture of Naruto, Yui, Asuna and the snowman in it's place.

"Alright. Let's go back. We don't want Yui-chan to catch a cold do we?" she asked, as they nodded. They sat in the living room, drinking hot chocolate, as they opened the TV and watched a show from the real world. The hot chocolate and the satisfying exercise, along with the warmth of the house, made Yui quickly fall asleep. Asuna placed her head on Naruto's lap "I am glad you did this Naruto-kun." she said, as he run his hands through her hair. "Don't be. I would do anything for you two." he said, as she nodded with a smile. "Say. For how long can you stay." she said. He checked the time, frowning "Not long. It's 5 PM. I have to be at work by 6, so half an hour at most." he said. While still busy, he was now able to go to work any time if there was no important reason, as long as he stayed for four hours, due to his promotion to Major. The way things were going, in one year he would be Colonel and in charge of the Entire Japanese Military Research in FullDive technology. If that happened, he could still be in the military and use the companies of his parents. "So, you can't be with us for studying right?" she asked, as he shook his head "I am sorry sweetie. I can't." he said. She rose, hugging him "It is fine." she said. "I love you." he said, as she smiled "I love you too." she said, as they kissed. After a while, Naruto disconnected, while Asuna called her friends, asking if they would like to come later for studying at the new house.

 _ **4 Hours Later**_

Asuna, a once again sleeping Kirito, Leafa, Silica and Lisbeth were in the living room. Kirito was asleep in an armchair, while Asuna, Silica, Lisbeth and Leafa were taking a break from studying, talking about the recent news in ALO. "Hey Asuna, have you heard of Zekken?" Lisbeth asked. Asuna tilted her head "Zekken? Is it a new weapon or item?" she asked. "No, it's a person's name. Well, nickname. It is a player so good with the blade, he is called 'Zekken', the absolute sword. The invincible sword. The unbeatable sword. That's what it means." she said. "He sounds tough." she said, imagining a tall, bulky player in armour. "So? What are they like?" she asked. Lisbeth frowned "Well, I heard the rumours a week ago, around New Year. Oh that's right! You didn't hear about it because you were in Kyoto!" she said, as Asuna frowned. "Don't remind me." she said. "Being a rich girl must be hard." Lisbeth replied. "Indeed it is. I don't know how Naruto deals with it. I was in a separate house with no LAN, so I couldn't FullDive. My Amusphere went to waste. I had to wear Kimonos and kneel to random people, not to mention… some guys who were leering at me." she said. Lisbeth frowned "I don't know if you should tell Naruto or not. On one hand, he would barge into your house and ask your hand in marriage, on the other hand he would find those boys and beat them to a bloody pulp." she said "On second thought do tell him. I will bring a camera." she said grinning. "About Zekken?" asked Asuna, her eye twitching "Oh right! Well, he is on a small island with a large tree on Floor 24. He duels people. He is a new player, but because his skills are so high, it is possibly a converted account. He fights at 3:00 PM every day. He was first known after he posted a message on the board of MMO tomorrow, seeking challenges. Around thirty people showed up wanted to teach the duelist a lesson, but he beat them all, his HP never dropping below 70 percent." she said, as Asuna widened her eyes.

"It's almost unbelievable. He fights and flies with such grace for a newcomer. It took me six months to fly properly." said Silica. "Did you fight them Silica-chan?" Asuna asked. She shook her head "I knew I could not win with a single glance. But Lisbeth-chan and Leafa-chan fought them. They still lost though." she said, as Leafa and Lisbeth grumbled about experienes. "If he keeps fighting though, won't players just get bored?" Asuna asked. "No they won't. He is betting something very awesome!" she said "A unique sword skill! A special skill for one-handed sword, that deals an Eleven hit combo!" exclaimed Silica. Asuna widened her eyes "Eleven?!" she asked. Lisbeth turned to Leafa "What is the highest amount of hits a Sword Skill has?". Leafa frowned "General Eugene has an 8-hit combo skill called ' **Volcanic Blazer** ', but he doesn't teach it." she said. "Then, there is Kirito's **Starburst Stream** , which does 16 hits, but he can't do it with Dual Wielding. Then, there is Naruto's 20-hit combo, the **Mugetsu** , which can't be used unless he uses his special ID and is unique to him only as the hand-eye coordination and reflexes are too great for anyone else." Lisbeth said. "And Naruto's **Kuzuryusen** is 9-hits." Silica said. Everyone turned at her "What?" they asked. "Oh you don't know? Naruto-kun has a Special Katana Skill called Kuzuryusen. It is a 9-hit combo, where he attacks at the same time nine different parts of the body. He showed it to me during a dungeon clearing where I asked his help." she said. "Wow. Still, the Eleven-hit combo is much stronger." Lisbeth said.

"Have you seen the Skill?" Asuna asked, as Leafa shook her head "I am afraid I did not. They only demonstrated it on the first day. No one has forced the move out of Zekken yet. I lost easily as well, as she used only default skills." she said sadly. "I see. Wait, what is the race and weapon?" she asked. "An Imp, wielding a one-handed sword, that is near the rapier in it's width." said Lisbeth. "He is very fast. I couldn't track any of his movements. It was a shock." Leafa said. "A speed type eh? Then, if you couldn't keep up with him, I am not sure if I could. Wait, what about Naruto-kun? Or even you Kirito-kun?" she asked. Kirito scratched his head "Well, I tried to fight with one blade, but I failed. Just before the fight ended, I asked 'You are totally living in this world, aren't you?'. My answer was a smirk and a thrust at incredible speed. They are a far better duelist than me, even with a perfect **Dual Wielding."** he said. "And what of Naruto-kun?" she asked. Kirito shook his head "The last duel Naruto had in this world, if it was considered a duel, would be his fight with Sugou. If not, then it's the time he beat General Eugene. And I said I am no match for Zekken. But no matter how strong Zekken is, he can't possibly take on a Boss on his own and survive, something that Naruto only can do." he said, as she nodded. "That is true. Naruto was considered the strongest player in SAO, as Heathcliff was a fake. Speaking of SAO, is he perhaps an old player?" she asked.

Kirito frowned "He can't be from SAO. If he was and Naruto wasn't in SAO, Zekken would have the **Dual Wielding** Skill and not me." he said, as everyone widened their eyes. "Wait! Why do you say Naruto? If his reflexes are higher than your's, why does he have the **Nito-Ichi** and not the **Dual Wielding**?" Lisbeth asked. "A skill isn't given only by your physical abilities, but also your skill with the weapon. Naruto's mastery of Katana **and** Curved Swords was at it's max, while his Hand-Eye coordination was the best. While his reflexes are higher than mine, the **Dual Wielding** requires straight sword. If I used a shield and had the highest STR in the game, I could unlock the **Holy Sword**. Same can be said for the other known Unique Skills, except the ' **Awaken the Dragon** '. That skill, no matter what I do, I can't get it." he said. "Wait, what other Unique skills exist?" Silica asked. Kirito scratched his head "Naruto searched for them and told me. Let's see. There is **Battojutsu** , which needs mastery of the Katana and the highest AGI among Katana users, who haven't achieved the **Nito-Ichi**. The opposite of the **Holy Sword** , the **Darkness Blade.** It requires Mastery of the Two-Handed Sword and having the most kills. The **Infinite Spear** requires mastery of Two-handed Assault Spears and the **Shurikenjutsu** requires the Blade Throwing skill to be maxed out. Then, there is the **Smite** , which requires mastery of Two-Handed Mace or Warhammer, the **Separator** , for mastery of Axe and the **Light Stinger** , for mastery of Rapier." he finished.

"I see. Well, I will still fight Zekken. I know I won't win, but something about him seems intriguing, like there is a reason for the duels, beyond giving the skill." she said. "Alright! Which character will you use?" Lisbeth asked. "I will stick with this. I don't want to focus on DPS, so I won't use a Sylph." she decided. Everyone cheered that the **Berserker Healer** would fight, while Asuna thought of tomorrow, while she couldn't help but think of what would happen if Naruto fought Zekken.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! As I said, family time with Yui was spent! I also showed the other Unique Skills, not to mention created three more. Now, next Chapter will be a bit hard for me. Tell me what do you guys want. Do you want me to narrate the Mother Rosario Arc, except for the end, which will take around half a Chapter, or immediately go to the end? The choice is up to you guys and will determined when this story ends. Don't worry, only a day or two of difference. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	18. Chapter 18:Yuuki and Success

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter eighteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the Most of Mother's Rosario. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 18: Yuuki and Success**

 _ **24th Floor**_

The 24th Floor was covered in water, with countless small islands connected by floating bridges. In the north, in one of the islands which was near Zekken's, Naruto was leaning on the ground, looking at the sea. Asuna was next to him, as they remembered the first time they met because a black rabbit passed them. As they looked at the sea, Asuna frowned, remembering a conversation with her mother. "Naruto-kun, I want to talk to you about two things." she said, as Naruto turned to her. She shook her head "Actually, the first one isn't needed now." she said awkwardly, then turned to him with a smile "Why haven't you fought Zekken or had no other duels anymore?" she asked. He sighed "Even with all the work, even if I don't spend half the time I used to on games, I still progress faster than ever. It might be because of the physical capabilities, but it doesn't change anything. Right now, I am around the power I possessed when I was Level 250 on SAO. I am still almost fifty levels away, but it is closer than before. Besides this Zekken who is a mystery, Kirito and Eugene are the closer to my Level and yet they are only close to Level 100. And I don't believe she is close to Level 200. If I am wrong, I fully intent to fight her." he explained, as she nodded, understanding. He didn't fight because he had no reason. Unless someone is in danger, the only way he would duel was if the thrill of battle overcame him.

"Now, let's get going. Your match is about to come. A word of advice. Don't hold back. Let the thrill of combat overflow your senses." he instructed, as they flew over to Zekken's island, where a large number of people had gathered. Naruto and Asuna flew down, as Asuna looked in surprise towards Zekken, as she expected a boy and not a girl. Zekken had long purplish-black hair and mischievous red eyes. She wore an obsidian breastplate, a purple blouse and a purple-red windscrept dress, completed with purple boots. A sheath holding a blade was around her waist. She was holding the victory sign, after beating her 67th opponent. "Zekken's a girl?" asked Asuna. Naruto grinned "That shouldn't worry you. Worry of the sword!" he said, pushing her forward as she yelped. Zekken smiled at her "Miss, want a fight?" she asked. Asuna smiled "Eh, sure." she said. Taking a deep breath, Asuna walked towards Zekken "We're using the standard rules. You can use all the items and magic you like, but I will only use my sword. And what type of combat would you like, Aerial or ground?" Zekken asked. "Ground please." Asuna replied. "Alright. You can jump, but no use of wings." Zekken said, sending her a duel request. Asuna accepted it, looking at the name 'Yuuki.' she thought, as the timer begun.

Once it reached zero, Asuna quickly charged forward, sending multiple thrusts with her rapier, only for Yuuki to block them all. Yuuki responded with a quick thrust which Asuna barely dodged, as she attempted to strike Yuuki's chest, only for her to quickly bring up her blade. She thrusted multiple times, as Yuuki dodged them all, before she quickly sliced Asuna's chest lightly. Asuna did a backflip, backing away and panting. Yuuki smiled, as Asuna did the same 'She is strong. But if I give up after one hit, I don't deserve to be a warrior! I was a warrior only in that world.' she thought, widening her eyes, which fell on Naruto's strong and piercing ones. She took a deep breath, falling into a stance, her blade next to her face, pointing at Yuuki, her eyes serious. Yuuki noticed it and got into a serious look as well. They immediately rushed at each other, swinging their swords, as Asuna proved to be stronger, pushing Yuuki's blade off of her, as Yuuki looked in surprise, before narrowing her eyes. Sparks flied, as they traded blow for blow, neither holding back. Yuuki's sword glowed purple, Asuna's glowed blue. They rushed at each other, as Asuna found an opening and sliced Yuuki's shoulder, while Yuuki cut Asuna's thigh. They swung their blades at each other, clashing, neither pushing back, until Asuna punched Yuuki's stomach, forcing the air out of her, before using a four-hit combo, only for Yuuki to block it completely 'She can see quadruple pain?' she thought, as Yuuki thrusted her blade at her. Asuna barely dodged, as her own blade glowed blue 'Not like this!' she thought, stabbing Yuuki's chest, as a large cloud of dust picked up. Asuna, however, was shocked, as Yuuki came out, her blade glowing 'This is the Eleven-hit combo. To go out like this, doesn't bother me at all!' she thought, closing her eyes, as a large explosion formed.

Asuna opened her eyes, seeing she had only 1 HP left, while Yuuki's sword was inches from her chest. Yuuki smiled, sheathing her sword and patting Asuna's shoulder "Good fight! That was great!" she said, raising her hand. Asuna shook her hand with a smile, only for Yuuki to fly quickly to the sky, dragging Asuna with her, as everyone looked in curiosity. Naruto facepalmed 'Not a single boring day.' he thought, before smiling 'You did good, Asuna.'

 _ **Next Evening**_

Naruto sat at his home, drinking some coffee. He had returned from a day of Hard work. Today, they found a way to use the Virtual World to invade and control machines. Usually, for a person to control a machine, he would need to add a specific chip to that machine, or hack it's network. But, they found another way. They built a special helmet, with a HUD interface, connected to special mechanical gloves. The helmet was directly linked to the person's nervous system, to allow the maximum speed in commands. The helmet used the fundamentals of the Virtual World's workings and the FullDive Technology, combined with state-of-the-art network connection and a first of it's kind technology. A special chip was placed in an area. Once activated, that chip sends out an untraceable, silent Electromagnetic Pulse, that instead of destroying electrical machines, actually changed a part of their system. As long as the chip was active, anything in the chip's range that was mechanical could be controlled by a user. The user got all the information he required in the interface, while the Helmet had an autopilot system, with knowledge of how every vehicle and machine on earth works. All the user needs to do is think of the command the autopilot should follow and just sit back and watch the job be done. And it didn't only influence vehicles that were there before the pulse was activated. The chip fires a continuous wave of pulses, meaning that anything that was inside the chip, could be controlled. Tomorrow, tests would be assumed on different vehicles. Then, once the test was complete, all they would need to do is try to find a way to keep the control going even after they leave the field. If they could, numerous traps could be created, while an entirely new offensive and defensive system could start to be created.

His thoughts trailed to Asuna. He told him this morning she was going to help Yuuki and her group, called Sleeping Knights, to defeat a Boss on their own, so that they could have a memory to remember, since they wouldn't be able to play once Spring came. Knowing how they felt, he was happy Asuna would do it. He remembered when he started to single handedly destroy bosses, all for the sake of getting stronger to protect Asuna. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when he got a message from Kirito. Frowning, he rose "Well, time to cut a bit loose.' he thought, with a smirk, going to his basement, to get on the computer.

 _ **27th Floor Boss**_

Asuna, Yuuki and the sleeping Knights were in the Labyrinth, outside the Boss Room, which was protected by a dozen players who forbade them from passing, while on their rear were over fifty people. Asuna looked forward, smirking and preparing for battle "We may not defeat this boss, but let's defeat the next one, together!" she said, as everyone smirked, preparing for combat. However, they weren't prepared for the sound of a sword stabbed to the ground, as a voice said "Sorry, this place is off limits." Kirito said, smirking. Asuna looked in wonder "Kirito-kun? What are you doing here?" she asked. Kirito turned to her "If Naruto found anyone got in your way and I did nothing to help, he would choke me." Kirito replied, only for the opposite players to scream, as a black blur flew over them, as Naruto skidded to the ground next to Kirito "Damn right I would." he said. Asuna smiled "Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed, as Naruto smirked, a fairy Yui next to him. "Hey, blacky-sensei's, even you two can't fight this many people." said the leader of the group. Kirito smirked "I don't know. I never tried it, but I am sure the **Shadow Blade** won't have trouble." he said, as Naruto grinned."Oh, really? Mages, torch him." said the leader, as multiple fireballs rushed their way. Asuna looked worried, but the two boys didn't. "You or me?" asked Naruto. Kirito shrugged "You will want to fight the players. Let me have my fun." he said, taking out his black sword.

As the fireballs closed in, to the shock of everyone, except Naruto, Kirito sliced all fireballs in half. "Impossible! You cut them!" the leader exclaimed. Kirito smirked "Even the fastest spells aren't as fast as a bullet coming from an anti-material rifle." he said, taking out Excaliber. "G-Get into formation!" said the leader, as the mages started adding buffs, while the soldiers prepared. Naruto grinned, taking out both of his blades "Kirito! Anyone I miss you take him! Klein, anyone who runs, you take him!" he yelled, as two cries of "Got it!" were heard. Yui nodded at Asuna, while Naruto slowly walked forward "I haven't fought anything non-NPC in a while." he said, picking up speed "So entertain me!" he roared, charging forward, as shields were thrown, while cries were heard. Asuna smiled 'Thank you, Yui-chan. Thank you, Klein-san. Thank you, Kirito-kun.' she thought, before she yelled "I love you, Naruto-kun!", causing Naruto to smirk while slicing a man in half. She turned "Let's go everyone!" she yelled, rushing in.

 _ **5 minutes later**_

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU GUYS ARE PATHETIC!" yelled Naruto, as everyone was killed in the span of five minutes. He sheathed his blades "How much quality has fallen. The Devil Horn guild in SAO took more time and they were only thirty members! And I only beat them to thirty percent of health! Damn it!" he yelled. "Calm down Naruto." Kirito said. "You know, when you told me Asuna was in trouble, I came right away. But I feel like not even Klein was needed." he said, as Klein grumbled. He then thought of something "You think they will win, Naruto?" Klein asked. Naruto smirked "They better. I didn't buy a cake with 'Congratulations' on top, just so they could lose." he said, as everyone laughed.

 _ **Three Days Later**_

Naruto was sitting in his basement, an Amusphere next to him, as seven of his screens were filled with codes, one had a percentage bar, while the screen in the middle held the face of a man with black hair and eyes. He was Doctor Kurahashi, the man responsible for the Yuuki's health while using the Medicuboid. Thanks to Kirito's information, Naruto got in contact with him. He was the one who gave Naruto Yuuki's hospital, which he gave to Asuna. He and Naruto were talking frequently about Yuuki. Asuna seemed to have been deeply moved by Yuuki's condition, so Naruto was gonna help her. Especially after she helped Asuna opened up to him regarding her sealed emotions. But a part of him understood.

When Asuna told him of the boys who leered at her in Kyoto, as well as for the possible marriage with a boy owning a bank, made Naruto almost go ballistic. However, he calmed himself and told Asuna he understood. And he promised her, he would do anything in his power to save Yuuki's life. And that was what he was trying to accomplish right now. To say the least, once he heard of Yuuki's problem, which a form of it was shared by all the members of the Sleeping Knights, he was moved. And after the test of the device, he had time.

 _ **Flashback**_

' _Naruto, are you ready?' a voice asked him. Naruto was in a large area, similar to the docks of Tokyo, with multiple machinery, ranging from devices to vehicles. He was wearing an Army uniform, while on his head was the helmet, which was similar to the NerveGear, only in camo colours. On his hands were metal gauntlets, connected to the helmet with wires. He took a deep breath, before nodding "Begin." he said. 'Chip activation.' the voice said. Naruto saw a small pulse go through the ground ,as all the vehicles turned blue. Naruto looked at one, as he pressed a button on his palm. He saw a small beam connect him with the vehicle. He thought of activating the car's engine. To his happiness, he heard the sound of the engine. He then did the same with all parts of the vehicle, before he had it speed up, making a few circles around him. He stopped after a minute of tests. 'Now, bike.' he thought, as he started the engine of a bike, doing the same tests. "Ground Vehicles a success. Moving to water vehicles." he said, moving to a boat and a submarine at the docks._

 _He first looked at the boat, thinking to start the engine, as a beam connected him to the boat. The boat successfully moved around, rumbling lowly, as Naruto had it move forward. He then did the same with the submarine, albeit with difficulty, as he had to use the computer to give him information. He then moved to the air vehicles, moving a helicopter and a hydroplane. He also moved them with difficulty, but it was still a success. Finally, he would test three devices. A flashlight, a sharpening device and a generator. He first connected to the flashlight, lighting it up with ease. With the same ease he activated the sharpening device, before moving to the generator. As soon as he heard the rumbling, he smirked "Ground test complete. Water test complete. Air test complete. Device test complete. 100% success." he said, as he could hear cheering on the radio._

 _ **Flashback End**_

Right now, he was talking with Kurahashi about the situation and what he intended to do. "Are you sure, Naruto-san? Not only does it seem impossible, but it also sounds far fetched as well. Yuuki wouldn't simply accept this.' said Kurahashi. "I will give her a choice. All I want you to do is once Asuna connects to your Amusphere, which she will, you give her the last medicine her body can handle to last for five minutes." he said, as Takahashi nodded. A bling was heard, as he saw the bar going to full, before multiple numbers and designs appeared. "It's ready for use. You will understand what happens. Just don't do anything with her or her devices, excpet giving her that medicine. Understood?" said Naruto as Kurahashi nodded. "Alright. I will go online now. See you later." said Naruto, ending the call. He picked up the Amusphere and put it on. Just before he connected, he thought 'Soon Asuna. Soon I will make you happy. Hang on.' he thought.

 **Done! Hope you guys enjoyed this Chapter! I know some of you wanted a more detailed approach of the Mother's Rosario, but when I wrote it in a narrated form, some parts felt a bit off, so I took them off. But I will make up for it. I won't spoil anything for next Chapter, but I have a feeling it will be awesome! Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	19. Chapter 19:The Things You Do For Love

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to chapter nineteen of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! This chapter features the end of Mother's Rosario. On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Chapter 19: The Things You Do For Love**

 _ **Yuuki's Hospital**_

Asuna rushed inside Yuuki's hospital room, her face one of shock and worry. Inside, was Doctor Kurahashi, who urged her to come near, as well as two nurses. "I am glad you came." he said "Forty minutes ago, her heart stopped working. We restored the pulse using drugs and a defibrillator, but the next time it happens, we can't do anything." he said. Yuuki turned to him "Why! Yuuki is-" she was about to say, but he raised her arm "To tell you the truth, since you first visited, this could have happened any time. But she has fought so long, it has astonished even us. She has won an impossible fight for so long. Her last fifteen years were one large battle. And it wasn't just the HIV. The clinical phases of the Medicuboid have caused her so much pain, I can't imagine how it would feel." he said. Asuna held Yuuki's hand, before turning to Kurahashi "Can you activate the Medicuboid for her?" she asked. He smiled "I had it ready when you came. Go to the room." he said, as she nodded and rushed to the room with the Amusphere. Kurahashi turned to the nurses, a serious look in his face "Activate Naruto's device." he said, as they nodded. He looked at Yuuki 'Let's see what you will do, Naruto.' he thought.

 _ **24th Floor**_

Asuna quickly flew towards the North Section of the 24th Floor, reaching the island where Yuuki fought. As she landed on it, she smiled, looking at Yuuki, who was in front of it. "Thank you Asuna. I forgot to give you something important." she said. Asuna smiled, approaching her a bit "What is it Yuuki?" she asked. Yuuki flipped through her menu "One second. I will prepare it right now." she said. She took out her sword, turning to the tree. Narrowing her eyes, she roared, repeatedly stabbing the tree, before thrusting one last time, forming a large dust cloud. When it vanished, a symbol appeared on the tree, rolled in a sheet of paper, which Yuuki caught, before falling to the ground."Yuuki!" Asuna yelled, kneeling next to her and holding her. Yuuki looked at Asuna, smiling "It is strange. I am not in pain, yet I feel so weak." she said. "It is fine. You just need some rest." she said. Yuuki nodded "Open your Skill window." she said, as Asuna did so. Yuuki pressed the scroll into the window, smiling at the 'Accepted' screen "It is my Original Sword Skill, called 'Mother's Rosario'. I am sure it will protect you." she said, as she felt tears on her chest. "I promise you Yuuki. If I ever leave this world, I will make sure to pass this skill to someone else. Your sword… will never vanish" Asuna said, tears in her eyes. Yuuki nodded a thanks, before turning to see The Sleeping Knights landing next to her, kneeling "What? You guys… promised not to say goodbye." she said, her voice growing weaker.

"We aren't here for that. We're here to cheer you on and tell you to wait for us." Jun said, holding her hand. "Now… you will make me mad. Don't come… too soon." Yuuki said, tears in her eyes. "Silly… you can't do anything… without us." Nori said, crying and holding her arm. "Guys.. we promised not to cry.." Siune said, as she also held Yuuki's hand, along with Tecchi and Talken. "Alright… I will wait… So hold on as long as you.. can" said Yuuki. However, she was interrupted, as Naruto, Yui, Kirito, Leafa, Sinon, Silica, Lisbeth, Klein, Argo and Agil all fell down, kneeling, with the exception of Naruto. "What… are you guys doing here?" said Yuuki. "I am sorry. I thought you might be upset. But you're the strongest female fighter in the world Yuuki. I couldn't let this be a lonely goodbye." Asuna cried, as more tears fell from Yuuki's eyes.

"Yuuki. This isn't the end for you." said Naruto, closing his eyes. "System Login: ID Maelstrom." he said, before his body turned white, as cracks appeared throughout it, breaking the light in a million pieces, as Naruto in his SAO Avatar, with Dragon Wings and a white Metal crown on his head was revealed, surrounded by monitors. "It's been a long time since I used this…" he whispered. He then opened his eyes, which were now red, looking at Yuuki "Death is something inevitable. You can't choose when it will happen, or where or how. But you can choose the emotions and outlook you will carry when you die. And your emotions and outlook Yuuki, are a beacon of hope, whether you realise it or not." he said, as everyone listened to him. "You gave my girlfriend so much happiness and love, along with courage and hope. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't have told me what her parents had planned, until it was too late, which would have resulted in my own suicide." he said, as everyone widened her eyes. "Why.. why would you… die…" Yuuki said. Naruto smiled "Love makes someone go to so many crazy lengths. And because you helped my girlfriend, who came to love you, I also came to love you. I am indebted to you. And I will never leave a debt unpaid. So, I was thinking how to repay you. And the madness of love showed me the way." he said, as a screen monitor appeared. He pressed a button, as light surrounded Yuuki's body, before she disappeared in a million particles. "Yuuki!" everyone yelled, before standing up and raising their blades at Naruto, including Asuna. "What did you do!" she said, as he raised his arm. He stood like that for ten seconds with closed eyes, before opening them "Tell me. Do you know what I did, Yuuki?" he asked.

To everyone's shock, Yuuki appeared in a flash of gold light, looking slightly different. Her hair had gotten a darker hue and instead of red eyes, she had brown eyes. And instead of a single blade, she had a new one on her waist, with an orange handle. Yuuki looked at her body, clenching her arms "Wow… what happened to me? I feel like I could go through my disease for a thousand years." she said. Naruto smiled, going opposite of her "Well, too bad you can't. A dead person can't catch a disease." he said, as everyone widened her eyes, looking at him. "Yuuki, you love this world. You love it a lot. You may not believe it, but you are a child of the Virtual World. This is what I did to you. Using the Medicuboid, I created a super High-powered brain scan on your brain and I transfered your consciousness to the Virtual World. Your real body is dead, but your mind and spirit, those will live forever and not just in our hearts." he said, as everyone widened her eyes "And it wasn't just you who helped my Asuna. Every member of your guild did it. So, I will do the same to them, if they ever wish it. The Sleeping Knights, shall live forever." he said, as tears flowed through everyone's eyes. Asuna approached Naruto, before falling to her knees and hugging him, trembling from the tears. He patted her head, before looking at Yuuki. Yuuki smiled at him, tears falling from her eyes "Wow Naruto-kun. If only you weren't with Asuna. I don't know how to repay you or thank you." she said, wiping the tears off her eyes. Naruto smirked, before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, everyone felt themselves transported to a mountain plateau. Everyone except Yuuki and Naruto were ten feet away. "You don't need to repay me. That was me paying a debt. But if you want to thank me." he said, cracking his knuckles, as a red aura appeared around him for a moment "Thank me through a duel." he said smirking, as Yuuki grinned. "Everything goes. Use all the items and magic you wish. You can fight in ground and air at the same time. And I have a gift for you." he said, pointing at the orange sword. She took it out, marvelling it. It was a one-handed arming sword, with a dark orange hilt, a crossguard with a jewel in the middle and a jewel at the pommel. The blade itself was a bright orange colour. "That is the opposite of Kirito's second SAO blade. It is called the **LightBringer**." he said. "Wow. But I can't dual wield." she said. Naruto shook his head "Your Avatar right now has maxed out all your Skills. But most of all, it is a fusion of your ALO avatar, along with a brand new one. You can freely use both blades." he said, as she grinned, taking out both swords. Naruto responding by taking out Yamato and Juuchi Yosamu. A timer appeared, as Yuuki and Naruto looked at each other's eyes, narrowing them, while a small smirk appeared on their faces.

The moment the timer reached zero, they blasted off the ground, swinging both blades at each other, as the ground cracked under the pressure. They both pushed forward, sparks flying from the friction of their blades, with Naruto gaining the advantage by throwing a sweeping kick at her legs, causing her to jump, as he raised his foot and kicked her in the stomach, sending her a few feet back. She quickly recovered and pushed forward, jumping over a swing of Naruto's, as she send her blade at his bare back, only for him to raise his other sword behind his back, blocking it. She planted her feet on the ground, thrusting her other sword forward, only for Naruto to drop his blade, swiftly turn and block with his other sword her strike, while catching it at the same time. They both smirked at each other, before jumping back, only to propel themselves forward again. A clash echoed through the plateau, as more sparks flew from their blades. Naruto swung his sword at her feet, only for her to fly high in the air. He swiftly followed her, holding both blades in a reverse grip. She did a backflip in midair, turning and rushing at him, both sword pointed forward. At the last second, Naruto swung his first blade forward, blocking both swords at the same time, before twirling and thrusting his other blade at her gut, as she clenched her teeth in pain, turning and headbutting Naruto, before forming an 'X' at his chest. She went to plant both swords at his torso, only for him to kick her away, before rushing and swinging both blades on her head, as she blocked with difficulty, only for him to kick her to the ground, then raising his blades, he said " **Moon Slice**." as two crescent waves sliced her ribs, as she fell to the ground faster.

Yuuki groaned, slowly rising, as Naruto landed on the ground. He cracked his neck, before looking at his wound. He smirked "It's been a long time since I got injured in a duel. But you can do much better than that." he smirked. She rose fully, falling to a stance, as Naruto did so. Yuuki rushed at him " **Mother's Rosario!** " she said, thrusting her blade forward. Naruto quickly raised Juuchi Yosamu "Kuzuryusen!" he said, as he sent out nine strikes that blocked her nine first strikes. She smirked, as her glowing blade was about to pierce Naruto, only to widen her eyes in surprise, at his words " **Kuzuryusen**!" he yelled, as Yamato glowed, blocking the two last strikes, before she felt seven scars on her body. "You got two blades. You can use techniques on both." she said. She panted "Oh… you're good. But I am not done yet!" she said, as both swords glowed purple. Naruto expected a Dual **Mother's Rosario** , as he blocked her first two strikes, preparing for a **Kuzuryusen**. However, he didn't expect those two words " **Starburst Stream**!" she yelled, as she started a barrage on Naruto, each strike feeling twice as powerful due to the activation of her Original Sword Skill. She roared, thrusting her blades up, as Naruto flew away, crashing into the ground. He blasted off the ground instantly, only to dodge a quick attack, before slicing her waist, as she roared in pain. Turning, she yelled " **Eclipse**!", as his eyes widened. She thrusted both of her blades forward, stabbing his torso, only for a hundred similar stabs to appear throughout his body, as he growled, headbutting her away. Yuuki groaned, before hearing the cry of " **Mugetsu!** ", as he appeared in a black streak behind her, only for her to feel twenty slices throughout her chest.

She fell on one knee, panting, as Naruto spat the ground, twirling his blades, as he turned at her with a smirk "That was impressive. Using the strongest Dual Wielding Attack, the **Eclipse.** But it was your best bet and my health is still at seventy three percent. I will end this battle now, but don't worry, it will be with a bang. Feel honoured, for I never used this attack before!" he said, as both of his blades, along with his entire body turned pitch black. "Prepare yourself. This is the strongest **Nito-Ichi** attack, **Mugen Mugetsu**!" he yelled, rushing at her like a rocket, enveloped in a black aura as black as night. He stabbed both blades at her chest, only for a large beam to envelop her, as she yelled in pain inside the blackness. Once the black aura disappeared, Naruto was standing, his blades in a forward thrust, as Yuuki was next to him on the ground, panting. Naruto sighed, sheathing his blades, as he raised an arm at her. "One last thing left to do. Tell the group I am going to pay another debt. Oh and tell Asuna to be off ALO in two hours." he said, as he started to glow "And it is good to have you with us, Yuuki-chan." he said, vanishing, as he missed her smile and the quickly approaching group.

Naruto opened his eyes, looking around, finding himself in a pitch-black area. He smirked "Come out, Kayaba." he said, as Kayaba's familiar form appeared. "Welcome Naruto-kun. I take it it was a success?" he asked. Naruto nodded "You should know. If you hadn't told me of the Nerve Gears connection to the Medicuboid, I would never be able to replicate the scan you used." he said. Kayaba nodded "Indeed. Who would have thought that a device meant to cause death, could be used to avert it. To create an algorithm that saved your consciousness as a program in the core of the Virtual World, no one thought of that." he said. Naruto smiled "No one as good as you." he said, getting a slight smirk from Kayaba. "I assume you are here to repay your debt?" he asked, as Naruto nodded, unsheathing his two blades. Kayaba responded by turning into his GameMaster form, the one he used on the first day of SAO, only much smaller. It was a head taller than Naruto, both of his arms had scythes, both made of pitch-black and red metal. Seven HP bars appeared next to him. " **So... do you like this form? It is the form I intended to use on the Ruby Palace, before the end of the Game.** " he said, his voice deeper. Naruto nodded "It is good enough for the battle." he said, as a counter once again appeared.

A ding was heard the moment the timer reached zero, as Naruto sped forward, roaring "Doryusen!" he yelled, slamming both blades to the ground, as chunks of magic rocks struck Kayaba, who shrugged them off and charged Naruto, swinging the scythes down. Naruto dodged the scythes by backflipping, only to do a front flip and cut Kayaba's arms, who in response released a wave of fire, that pushed Naruto back. He rose, smirking "So.. that's how it will be eh? Fine by me! **Kuzuryusen**!" he yelled, appearing behind Kayaba, whose first HP bar disappeared. He turned back and yelled " **Mugetsu!** " going back to his original spot, dealing a lot of damage to Kayaba's back. Kayaba roared, sending a barrage of purple balls of energy at him. Naruto sliced most of them, only to get hit by two. He panted, as Kayaba charged forward and swung his scythe, Naruto barely dodging, before he thrusted his other one forward, sending him flying back. Naruto quickly retaliated by sending two crescent waves at him, which struck Kayaba's chest, making him lose his second HP bar. "So, warmup over?" he asked, as Kayaba nodded. Both disappeared, as clashes appeared all over the empty field of darkness, sparks flying from the clashes.

They kept fighting like this for over five minutes, as with one final clash, both combatants flew away from each other, crashing down on the floor. Naruto panted, as his health was in yellow and Kayaba was down to two HP bars. He slowly rose " **Mugen Mugetsu**." he said, as he blasted towards Kayaba's chest, stabbing him and releasing a beam of black light. Kayaba roared, as he dropped both of his scythes, before punching Naruto with a darkness-enhanced punch, sending him flying away. Naruto panted, as he felt his health go to red and Juuchi Yosamu falling to the ground. Kayaba materialised a curved sword, rushing at him " **This is the end!** " he roared. Naruto sheathed Yamato, before unsheathing it, blocking Kayaba's strike, only for Kayaba to push his sword to the right, Naruto leaning to that direction. Kayaba saw his open back, about to strike him, only to feel paralyzed. Naruto turned completely, as he sliced Kayaba in half, Kayaba's HP going to zero "Original Skill: **Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki**." Naruto whispered. Kayaba felt himself disappear, before he spoke " **Thank you.** " he said, fully vanishing. Naruto smiled, before turning serious "One thing left to do." he said to himself, logging off.

 _ **Asuna's home**_

Asuna was sitting on her bed, dressed in a long red skirt and a white dress. She had a smile on her face, thinking of what Naruto did to Yuuki and herself. 'To think that he would defy death himself, so that I could be happy… and I was afraid of telling him something as important as my parents wanting to marry me off.' she thought. She grabbed a picture of her and Naruto in the real world, standing in front of the destroyed Edo Palace, as a few tears fell from her face. She tightly hugged the picture 'I am sorry for not believing in you Naruto-kun.' she thought. However, she was surprised when the maid of the house entered "Asuna-sama. Your father and mother demand your presence in the living room immediately." she said, as Asuna raised an eyebrow, wondering what her mother would want, but nonetheless complied. Sending a thankful nod at the maid, she rose, placing the picture down and exiting her room.

As she made her way in the living room, she widened her eyes in shock. She could see her mother, Yuuki Kyouko and her father, Yuuki Shouzou sitting on one couch, while, to her surprise, Minato and Asuna, in formal outfits, sat on the opposite couch. Her biggest shock was in the form of Naruto, in his formal military uniform, the Major's badge proudly shining. He send a smile at Asuna, before turning to her parents. "Good. Musume please stay here. This man wished to say something. But first, let me tell you Naruto-san. I wasn't expecting you to be Namikaze Naruto when I first met you. Then again, the red hair was a perfect distraction." he said, as Naruto nodded. "Indeed Shouzou-san, though it was necessary after the shock of transition." he said, as Shouzou nodded. "Now, regarding the reason you're here?" Shouzou asked. Naruto simply rose, falling down on his knees, to everyone's surprise, his hands on his legs, bowing "I will be blunt. Shouzou-san. I request your daughter's hand in marriage." he said, as everyone widened her eyes. Kyouko spoke "Naruto-san. I am afraid my daughter is already engaged to a man, so I am sorry to-" she was about to deny him, only for Shouzou to speak "Kyouko, he addressed me, not you." he said. Kyouko looked at her husband in shock, only to widened her eyes, as she saw a fire in them.

She stayed silent, as Shouzou turned to Naruto. "Naruto-san, where will you live and how will you survive the world?" Shouzou asked. "I am a Major of the Japanese Army's research Department and a future CEO of the Japanese companies responsible for FullDive technology, so financially wise there are no complications. As for where we will live, I currently own a two-story house, however, I fully intend to buy any house her heart desires, as I have saved enough money for it." he said. "I see. Do you intent to force my daughter to do anything against her wishes?" he asked. "I would rather die than do that." he said with conviction. "Do you love her?" he asked. Naruto stayed silent for a second, before speaking "I first met your daughter in SAO. She was a young girl, fully intent to survive. She had a fire in her, which instantly sparked something inside me. From that day and for everyday, I was always near her, watching over her. My feelings for her grew, to the point every action I did, from eating, sleeping and even breathing, was so that I could be with her for even a second longer. My feelings are the same up to this day. I love your daughter Shouzou-sama, with all my heart. A life without Asuna, is not a life worth living for me." he said, looking directly at him.

Shouzou stayed silent for a moment, looking at Naruto's eyes, seeing the fire and conviction inside his blue orbs. He smiled "I think my daughter is the one you should ask, Naruto-san." he said, as Naruto rose, approaching a shocked Asuna. He fell on one knee, as he opened a red box, causing Asuna to gasp at the contents. Inside was a platinum ring, with a large blood-red diamond in the middle, while small rubies ran along the ring. "Asuna-chan, will you marry me?" he asked with a smile. She had her hand over her mouth, as tears fell freely from her eyes. After a second, she instantly spoke, hugging him "YES!" she yelled, as Naruto also cried, kissing her. Everyone, even a reluctant Kyouko, were smiling and clapping, as tears freely fell from Kushina's eyes. However, none of that was noticed from Naruto and Asuna. All they noticed, was each other.

 **BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING DID YOU? Hahahhaha. To be fair, I know some of you expected Yuuki staying alive and Naruto proposing, but I believe the way he did it was not something you expected. Oh, I am so happy writing this. Next Chapter is the Epilogue. I will show what happened to the characters, along with giving info on my future story. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


	20. Ending

**Hey everyone! Thunderito here and welcome to the Epilogue of Naruto: The Shadow Blade! I will reveal what will happen to the group one year afterwards, then I will explain about my next story. On with the ending!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Sword Art Online. They belong to their respective owners.**

 **Epilogue**

 _It has been a year since Naruto saved Yuuki from death. One year since Naruto proposed to Asuna and she accepted. Six months later, a week after the end of the school, Naruto and Asuna were married. It was a grand wedding, where everyone of their friends were invited. Naruto had Kirito as his Best Man, while Asuna chose Lisbeth as her Best Woman. Sinon, Klein, Agil and his wife, Silica, Thinker, Yulier, Sasha, Yolko, Caynz, Argo and Naruto's entire research team. Even Yuuki and Yui were there, watching the event through cameras. Everyone agreed that the couple couldn't be more happier about it, as they were literally glowing with happiness. Naruto took Asuna on a honeymoon trip to Luxembourg, which they spent travelling around and spending time with each other. Once they returned to Japan, Naruto bought a large mansion for Asuna, along with anything she could ever want. And during the end of August, another wedding happened._

 _Kirito and Shino confessed to each other of their feelings during May and they decided to get married before school begun. Naruto was Kirito's Best Man, while Asuna was Shino's. But they weren't the only ones who got a relationship. Klein managed to find a girlfriend, in the form of the GameMaster who created Skuld. Naruto introduced them and they soon started dating. Lisbeth dated a boy from school, while Silica started to have crushes. Love was in the air and everyone was happy._

 _The group still played ALO whenever they could, with Naruto giving Yuuki the special position of being the Fairy Princess, as well as controlling the Boss Avatars of Floors 90 to 99. As for Floor 100, when the time came, Naruto would personally fight them, as he created a rule that had the Final Boss be accessible only during specific hours of days. During Christmas, they all had a feast in the real world, which moved on to the Virtual World. There, they spent time with each of their friends._

 _Speaking of the Virtual World, Naruto's work had progressed very well, to the point where he would leave the military at the age of twenty-one instead of twenty-two. Plans for Naruto's ascension to commanding several Virtual Reality-related companies were already in progress. And if he could make this companies a major power, Minato and Kushina promised that Naruto would take over NUC by the age of thirty, which Naruto couldn't be happier about._

 _Naruto thought of all the events that transpired to his life after he placed a single helmet on his head. After he fought a giant Kobold. After he fell in love with a charismatic girl. After the Shadow Blade was born. And he wouldn't want it any other way. He loved the way his life turned and was thankful for the fact that despite some rough times, he and his precious people were at peace. He hoped that nothing would arise to threaten them. But if that day came,_ _ **Shadow Blade**_ _would rise from the shadows and fight, believe it!_

 **Sniff! Why…. why am I so indecisive! On one hand, I hate it when a story is left unfinished. But when I finish a story, I still hate the fact for doing so. Now, I got a desire to watch some Dragonball, as this feeling was similar to what I felt on DBGT. Sure, GT may have been a total brain-whacking series, but the ending was without a doubt my most favourite part of it. Heck, as I wrote this epilogue, the music of the scene was playing in my mind. Anyways, enough rumbling. Hope you people enjoyed reading this story, as much as I did making it. And if you didn't, I understand. Just don't whine about it. Anyway, the story is over. For the final time, I don't know if I will make the PA. In case I do, I left the epilogue with reason for a possible sequel. So, now, let's get to the next story.**

 **It is called Naruto: The Dragon Warrior. It can be considered a Naruto/Ninja Gaiden crossover, with many items and characters from the series, not to mention the fact Naruto is a Hayabusa and not related to Minato. It is a Harem, with main pairing not revealed. The 2nd Main Pairing is Naruto/Kushina. It takes places in an Alternate Timeline, where a war breaks out. It is of course an Uber-Godlike Naruto, but without a Bijuu. However, he will have the Rinnegan. More will be explained in the story itself.**

 **Now, next week school begins and this week I will have a prep week with tests at my tutors, so I will need to , no time to start writing. I will begin the week after that, first week of school. I will be updating one chapter per week, but if one week I can't update, please bear with me. Also, since updates will be less frequent, my Twitter will be more useful, as I can update there as well. Thanks once again to the guy who suggested it, I remember your name, but when I reply to someone or bring up someone, I do it anonymously. Now, I have gotten a humongous amount of suggestions, it's not even funny anymore. I know you people asked me about stories, but I would like to first do the Stories I thought of. If your suggestions are similar to my personal thoughts, you're in luck, as I might be able to bend my story a bit. Now, I think my next story will end around December or so. I already know what my next story will be. However, you're free to send me suggestions. Just know that by now, I have a waiting line for stories hahaha. Until next time, Thunderito out!**


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